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Category: New Jersey News

  • New Trump-promoted Freedom Fuel station pops up in Philly. Another could be shut down.

    New Trump-promoted Freedom Fuel station pops up in Philly. Another could be shut down.

    Philadelphia drivers looking to save a few bucks at the pump streamed into the city’s newest Freedom Fuel station Friday afternoon, even while the station’s deep discounts remain a mystery.

    The station, located in Bustleton on Roosevelt Boulevard, is one of four new Freedom Fuel locations added this week. The other three are in New Jersey, including one all the way up in Morris County.

    The gas network, which was promoted by both the White House and President Donald Trump last month, is now up to 29 stations across the Philadelphia region, stretching east to the Jersey Shore.

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    Nearly all the pumps were full at Philly’s newest Freedom Fuel spot Friday afternoon, with the station selling a gallon of regular gas for $3.79 a gallon. That’s nearly 35 cents a gallon less than a Wawa just up Roosevelt Boulevard, where a gallon of regular gas went for $4.13 on Friday.

    A nearby Lukoil was a bit closer to Freedom Fuel’s prices, offering a gallon of regular gas for $3.99.

    An enduring mystery remains how Freedom Fuel has been able to consistently offer lower prices than nearby competitors.

    Experts told The Inquirer Freedom Fuel was likely suffering losses for selling fuel at such a low price, especially since many of the company’s stations don’t have robust convenience stores or car washes to create revenue.

    “It becomes unsustainable,” Eliezer Fich, a finance professor at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business, told The Inquirer last month. “Unless prices go down. But if they do, they go down for everybody.”

    According to public records, the newest Freedom Fuel station is owned by Celik Plaza II l.l.c., which had previously run it under a “Red Lion Fuel” banner. Engin Celik, who is listed as a principal with the company, according to documents reviewed by The Inquirer, did not respond to a request for comment.

    Philly Freedom Fuel station faces closure after failing inspection

    The Freedom Fuel station on Bustleton Ave. in Philadelphia. Dana Munro / staff

    While Freedom Fuel is adding locations, it could soon lose one in Philadelphia.

    The station on Bustleton Avenue, one of at least six locations linked to Cherry Hill developer Shamikh Kazmi and his brother Syed Kazmi, has an expired fuel dispensing license and failed an inspection last week, according to city records.

    If unresolved, the station could be forced to close by Sept. 4, according to a city spokesperson.

    The Kazmi brothers, who have been embroiled in at least two lawsuits related to previous gas station ventures, could not be reached for comment.

    Freedom Fuel owners remain quiet

    Ravens special teams coach Randy Brown signed Freedom Fuel’s formation papers. Terrance Williams

    While Freedom Fuel’s launch was proudly promoted last month by Trump, the company’s owners have remained quiet about the enterprise and how they’re able to maintain low fuel prices.

    A White House spokesperson previously told The Inquirer Freedom Fuel is a private company receiving no government subsidies and not accessing fuel at a lower cost.

    “Freedom Fuel Network is a privately owned and proudly patriotic company — along with its convenience store operators, haulers, sign companies, and operational partners — that answered President Trump’s call to action to lower prices at the pump,” the company said in a statement on its website.

    Baltimore Ravens assistant coach Randy Brown, the former mayor of Evesham Township, N.J., and a self-proclaimed “proud Trump supporter,” signed Freedom Fuel’s certificate of formation in Delaware on June 23. Brown has declined to comment on the enterprise.

    Former commodities trader Yoni Gontownik also signed the certificate of formation, and has not responded to requests to comment. Gontownik and his wife, Bellen, have hosted Republican fundraisers through NORPAC, a New Jersey-based political action committee supporting pro-Israel lawmakers in both parties.

    Staff writer Ryan W. Briggs contributed to this article.

  • N.J. Attorney General’s Office investigating fatal shooting of Millville man by law enforcement

    N.J. Attorney General’s Office investigating fatal shooting of Millville man by law enforcement

    The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said Friday it was investigating the fatal shooting of a 47-year-old Millville man by a sergeant with the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office.

    On Thursday morning, police responded to a report of a domestic disturbance on the 300 block of Hazel Boulevard, the attorney general’s office said. During an encounter inside a residence, Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office Sgt. John Borelli fatally shot Shaun Murphy, the attorney general’s office said.

    The attorney general’s office said a gun was recovered from the scene.

    Under state law, the attorney general’s office is required to investigate all deaths that happen during encounters with law enforcement.

  • In South Jersey, a police standoff ended with a man fatally shot

    In South Jersey, a police standoff ended with a man fatally shot

    An hours-long standoff with police at a home in Millville, N.J., on Thursday ended with a man fatally shot, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said.

    The attorney general’s office said it is investigating the shooting. Last night, the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability identified the man who shot as Shaun Murphy, 47, of Millville. The officer was identified as Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office Sgt. John Borelli.

    The deadly encounter happened at a white, two-story suburban home near Holly Heights Elementary School and a patch of woods, according to video footage and maps of the area.

    Police showed up outside the house on Hazel Boulevard around 8 a.m. Thursday, according to TV news reports.

    Neighbors described a standoff as police spoke to a man in the house with a loudspeaker, 6abc reported.

    News camera footage showed one window of the home was shattered. Police tape wrapped the property. A New Jersey State Police crime scene investigation unit van was parked outside.

  • 4 men charged with sex trafficking of 2 women in Camden area

    4 men charged with sex trafficking of 2 women in Camden area

    Four men have been charged with sex-trafficking two women in Camden, coercing them with violence, threats, and drugs, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said Friday.

    Keith B. Woodson, 40, of Camden, Lee A. Byrd, 62, of Philadelphia, Raymond H. Cooper, 48, of Sicklerville, and Andre A. Lindsey, 41, of Woodlynne, were charged by indictment with first-degree racketeering, first-degree conspiracy to commit human trafficking, first-degree promoting organized street crime, and related offenses.

    Woodson allegedly met one victim when she was getting off a bus in Camden and enticed her with the promise of making $1,000 a day, prosecutors said. The woman, who was dependent on narcotics, agreed. She allegedly turned over the money she was paid for sex acts to Woodson, who supplied her with ecstasy, Percocet, and Adderall.

    When she disobeyed Woodson, he allegedly choked her until she passed out and threatened to kill her and her family, prosecutors said.

    Woodson allegedly threatened violence against a second woman’s family if she tried to leave, and told her he expected her to see four to five men daily, Monday through Friday, prosecutors said.

    Woodson allegedly posted photos of the second woman on illicit sex websites to attract customers, and he allegedly solicited men from a bar and a convenience store he frequented, authorities said.

    Prosecutors said Woodson rented hotel rooms, bought supplies, and arranged meetings between the woman and patrons and collected the money that was paid to the woman, who feared that he would hurt her physically or withhold food.

    The other defendants are also accused of trafficking the second woman, driving her to various hotels, standing watch outside, and then collecting the money, prosecutors said. Cooper also allegedly provided Woodson with drugs to give to the second woman.

    All four men carried guns, Davenport said.

    “This indictment describes a cycle of violence and abuse that was used to force the victims into prostitution,” Davenport said in a statement.

    “People engaged in human trafficking exploit vulnerable victims for financial gain, and we will always work to hold them accountable and provide help and support to the victims,” Davenport said.

  • N.J. attorney general announces investigation into detainee deaths at Delaney Hall

    N.J. attorney general announces investigation into detainee deaths at Delaney Hall

    New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced Friday that her office’s civil rights division is investigating the operation of Delaney Hall, the privately run ICE facility in Newark where several detainees have died.

    Davenport said the investigation will look into how the facility is run by the GEO Group Inc. and whether its employees have violated the civil rights of people detained there, citing reports about conditions and the deaths.

    On Aug. 1, Edwin Jeovanny López Cornejo, 41, died in ICE custody after having a medical episode at Delaney Hall. His family said he had been living in the United States for two decades.

    Concerns have been raised about the death in December of Jean Wilson Brutus, a 41-year-old Haitian, shortly after he arrived at Delaney Hall.

    Congressional Democrats this week alleged that a third person at the facility had died.

    Critics say detainees at Delaney Hall endure poor conditions. The facility has been the subject of ongoing protests and clashes between federal officials and elected Democrats.

    File photo of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents watching protesters at Delaney Hall, an immigration detention center, in Newark, N.J., on June 7, 2026.LEXI PARRA

    “New Jersey has both a legal and a moral duty to stand up for the civil rights of people within our state,” Davenport said in a statement.

    “For people who are held involuntarily, including by a private corporation like GEO Group, those rights include the right to humane treatment and adequate medical care,” Davenport said.

    “We will take every action available under law to safeguard these core legal principles. We ask individuals to share their personal experiences with us so that we can take action to ensure that rights are protected,” she said.

    Anyone with information that could be helpful for the investigation can contact the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office Division of Civil Rights at AffirmativeEnforcement@njcivilrights.gov.

    A spokesperson for the GEO Group referred questions to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    Spokespersons for ICE and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security could not be reached for comment Friday evening.

    The Trump administration has previously rejected calls for Delaney Hall to be closed as it pursues mass deportations.

    Gov. Mikie Sherrill said in a statement that the investigation was necessary.

    “We’ve heard the reports of disturbing conditions and have been heartbroken by recent deaths of detainees at the facility,” Sherrill said.

    “ICE and The GEO Group have continued to block our efforts for a full health inspection and there are now reports that visitations have been stopped. We will not tolerate a facility that abdicates any transparency and accountability,” Sherrill said.

    “I have long opposed private detention facilities, and my position is clear that Delaney Hall should be closed. My administration will continue to do everything in our power to hold ICE and The GEO Group accountable to New Jersey laws,” the governor said.

    On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.) called for the closure of Delaney Hall but was rebuffed by Senate Republicans.

    “A body count is not normal. A mother’s son whose face went numb the night before is not normal. Edwin Lopez Cornell’s death was preventable. Keeping Delaney Hall open is another deliberate decision to let it continuing,” Booker posted on social media.

    Also on Thursday, all nine House Democrats in New Jersey sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and acting ICE Director David J. Venturella asking for detailed information about the deaths and conditions at the facility.

    “Three deaths, repeated allegations of medical neglect, restricted oversight, and less public transparency are a terrible track record of care for individuals in your custody,” the Democrats wrote.

    “At this point, the question is no longer whether ICE knows what is happening inside Delaney Hall. It is, ‘why does ICE continue to allow the GEO Group to put lives at risk?’” they wrote.

  • Commodore Barry Bridge is getting a paint job and restoration, and traffic is jammed

    Commodore Barry Bridge is getting a paint job and restoration, and traffic is jammed

    Canvas shrouds the Commodore Barry Bridge as workers blast clean and repaint the high steel trusses holding up the roadway.

    The $220 million project, expected to finish in 2028, has caused havoc this summer with commuter and Shore-bound traffic on a crucial link between Delaware and Gloucester Counties.

    Traffic is squeezed into one lane in each direction from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., and residual morning delays have been reported. Crews sometimes also have to close lanes or temporarily stop all traffic during daytime to move equipment and materials.

    It is a major undertaking for the Delaware River Port Authority, the bistate agency that owns and runs the Commodore Barry, as well as the Walt Whitman, Ben Franklin, and Betsy Ross Bridges.

    As they move along the 13,912 feet of the bridge, industrial painting crews first sandblast layers of old paint and protective coatings that have built up over the years.

    They work from suspended platforms in enclosed spaces of canvas, with containment systems that capture the gritty material used to clean the steel, lead-based paint, and other grime.

    Although that up-in-the-air work is most visible to motorists, massive repairs are going on underneath, on the deck, and in the support structures below that, including the piers in the river.

    Crews are removing crumbling concrete and replacing it, repairing the drainage system, and installing 14,000 feet of new electrical conduits and wire, DRPA officials say.

    The rehab began in spring 2025, with replacement of the movable “zipper” barrier that separates lanes of bridge traffic. It was finished last summer.

    The bridge opened in 1974 after five years of construction.

    Earlier, people relied on ferries to cross from one state to another.

    In 1930, the Chester-Bridgeport Ferry began running, with a capacity of 60 cars per trip. Six years later, the ferry’s boats were added to the federal highway system, as moveable parts of U.S. Route 332.

  • Cape May, Woodbine water systems targeted in cyberattack. Here’s what we know.

    Cape May, Woodbine water systems targeted in cyberattack. Here’s what we know.

    Two South Jersey towns were victims of cyberattacks last week targeting the water supplies of municipalities across the country.

    Officials in Cape May and Woodbine, both in Cape May County, confirmed their water systems were hacked in the early morning hours of Monday, July 27. While both systems were impacted for about 12 hours, officials say water never stopped running and remained safe to consume.

    “Water treatment, water supply, and monitoring systems continue to operate safely, and routine testing confirms that the water supply remains safe,” Cape May City Manager Paul Dietrich and Woodbine Mayor William Pikolycky said in a joint statement.

    Both said no personal data or customer information was compromised.

    “Most of our systems in Woodbine and Cape May aren’t automated. It’s not online,” Cape May Mayor Zack Mullock told 6abc. “That really saved us.”

    In Cape May, hackers changed the IP address of the water department’s computer system, temporarily locking out officials, according to Dietrich. No water pumps were disrupted, and none of their systems were altered.

    “They just went in and said, ‘Hey, hi, we’re here.’ And left,’” Dietrich told KYW NewsRadio.

    Cape May’s water system also supplies water to West Cape May, Cape May Point, Lower Township, and the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center.

    In Woodbine, about half an hour north of Cape May, the city provides water to about 5,000 people, including campgrounds.

    Similar to Cape May, communications were cut off to Woodbine’s water monitoring system, which was reactivated manually a few hours later. Pikolycky said the impact was minimal, similar to what happens during a power outage.

    “We don’t have a complicated system,” Pikolycky said. “A couple bad actors interrupted our operation a bit, drove us a little nuts. That’s all.”

    No issues in Philadelphia

    At least seven states have been targeted in a wave of cyberattacks on water systems in the U.S., according to the FBI, but so far Pennsylvania doesn’t appear to be among them.

    The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said there have been no reported attacks on local water systems in the commonwealth, and offered guidance to operators to help prevent future incidents.

    A Philadelphia Water Department spokesperson said the city hasn’t been impacted by cybersecurity threats and “maintains an established cybersecurity program focused on protecting operational integrity and ensuring we are prepared to respond effectively to potential cyber incidents.”

    Who is behind the cyberattacks?

    A water tower in Plymouth, Minn. Ellen Schmidt

    It remains unclear who is targeting local water systems across the country.

    Thirty water facilities were targeted by cyberattacks in Minnesota, according to officials, and nine were impacted in Michigan. Similar to what happened in New Jersey, water systems continued to operate, and there were no impacts on public health.

    “After remotely accessing internet-facing devices, the actors changed the IP addresses and passwords, resulting in a loss of monitoring and control functionality,” the FBI said in a statement.

    Last month, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency — part of the Department of Homeland Security responsible for cybersecurity — released a joint statement with the FBI and CIA linking Iran to a broader range of cyberattacks targeting the same type of hardware hit in Cape May and Woodbine.

    “Iranian cyber actors continue to target U.S. critical infrastructure, and the FBI is committed to identifying, disrupting, and imposing costs on those responsible,” Brett Leatherman, assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, said in a statement.

  • Betty J. Wilson, celebrated South Jersey teacher, singer, and poet, has died at 92

    Betty J. Wilson, celebrated South Jersey teacher, singer, and poet, has died at 92

    Betty J. Wilson, 92, of Cherry Hill, celebrated longtime South Jersey teacher, singer, poet, mentor, community advocate, volunteer, and two-time chapter president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., died Thursday, July 16, of cancer at her home.

    Mrs. Wilson taught elementary school students in Bordentown, Bridgeton, and Mount Laurel from the early 1960s to the late 1990s, and served as two-time president of the Mount Laurel Teachers Association. She was named one of the country’s top teachers in 1972 by the old Outstanding Teachers of America Association and told the Courier-Post: “Children are our most valuable asset. If we don’t give them the proper training early, there’s not much chance for the future.”

    Her family called her “dynamic and outgoing” in a tribute, and her daughter, Saundra Umstead-Capers, said: “She was a born leader and had a commanding presence.”

    Mrs. Wilson championed discipline and parental participation in school and at home, and told the Courier-Post: “Most of our children are allowed to talk first and ask too many questions before complete directions are given. … If the child is used to directives, he won’t resent authority. And in life, we all have to take directions from someone else no matter who we are.”

    She represented Mount Laurel teachers during sometimes contentious contract negotiations with Board of Education officials and helped improve teacher benefits and job protection through the New Jersey Education Association.

    She joined Alpha Kappa Alpha in 1953 at what is now Virginia State University. Later, she cofounded local AKA chapters in Cherry Hill and Voorhees, served as two-time president of the Theta Pi Omega chapter in Cherry Hill, and was recognized by national AKA officials for her contributions.

    Friends called Mrs. Wilson “a phenomenal woman” and “a beautiful, smart, professional woman” in online tributes.Courtesy of the family

    The theme of her sorority presidency was service, scholarship, and Black American heritage, and she helped establish social service, public speaking, and scholarship programs. “Her presence,” sorority colleagues said in an online tribute, “will be profoundly missed.”

    As a singer, Mrs. Wilson had a soaring soprano voice, and she took lessons in high school and college. She performed on a local TV station in Western Pennsylvania when she was young and sang with a traveling choir in college and for the school president.

    She also wrote poetry for years and acknowledged the one-year anniversary of the 1999 death of her husband, Wilbur Wilson, by writing in 2000: “Your legacy stays with us and shall always light the way/We thank God for your presence and your sharing every day.”

    She lobbied locally for the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act in the 1960s, and volunteered with the Rancocas Valley chapter of the Links and the South Jersey chapter of the Continental Societies. She served on the education committee at Evergreen Baptist Church in Palmyra and tutored the children of many church members.

    Why did best-selling author Carol Saline email The Inquirer’s obit writer?

    In online tributes, friends called her “a phenomenal woman” and “a beautiful, smart, professional woman.” One friend said: “She impacted so many lives, especially the students she taught.”

    Betty Jane Atkins was born April 6, 1934, in Library, Pa., about 12 miles south of Pittsburgh. The oldest of nine children, she was an honor student and the lead singer in every musical during her years at the old Snowden Township High School.

    She attended Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Library, earned scholarships to attend college, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education at Virginia State.

    Stylish and sophisticated, Mrs. Wilson was a popular figure on the college campus. She was selected by the football team to represent it on their homecoming float in 1953, and she served as the school’s Miss Valentine in February, Miss Apple Blossom in the spring, and Miss ROTC.

    Survivors give advice about mourning their loved ones, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer

    She was also assistant class president and selected to accompany the daughter of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall during a visit to the campus.

    She met Chester Whittaker in college, and they married, and had a daughter, Saundra. They divorced later, and he died in 1998.

    She married Wilbur Wilson, and they lived in Cherry Hill for decades. She played piano and was an avid reader and an expert seamstress.

    When parents die, even the mundane memories comfort their children. Here are their tales, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer.

    She was an engaging storyteller and, her daughter said, “a lot of fun.”

    “Sister Wilson embodied the ideals of an Alpha Kappa Alpha woman,” sorority colleagues said, “elegant, poised, and gracious.”

    In addition to her daughter, Mrs. Wilson is survived by a granddaughter, three sisters, a brother, and other relatives. Two sisters and two brothers died earlier.

    Visitation with the family is to be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, at Boyd Funeral Home, 1458 Mt. Ephraim Ave., Camden, N.J. 08104. Services are to be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, at Evergreen Baptist Church, 602 W. 3rd St., Palmyra, N.J. 08065.

    Donations in her name may be made to Evergreen Baptist Church, 602 W. 3rd St., Palmyra, N.J. 08065.

  • One free lawn cut at a time | Inquirer South Jersey

    One free lawn cut at a time | Inquirer South Jersey

    Good morning, South Jersey. The recent trend of heat, high humidity, and random showers is here for another few days.

    A high school history teacher and a lawyer are spending their summer in Camden sprucing up the city where they have lived and worked — by providing free lawn care.

    And a third-generation South Jersey business makes stainless-steel food carts that spin their wheels on Shore boardwalks, huge theme parks, and military bases across the world.

    Plus, a man who pleaded guilty recently for stalking a TV news personality is the same person who was arrested for allegedly threatening Gov. Mikie Sherrill, and more news of the day.

    — Taylor Allen (southjersey@inquirer.com)

    P.S. As we wrap up another week, we want to thank you for your continuing support. We’re still new, so please tell us how we’re doing by taking our survey.

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

    Sprucing up the community

    Childhood friends Brian Turner and Keith Benson have cut nearly 100 lawns in Camden since June.

    Turner is a Camden High teacher and Benson is a lawyer at a Cherry Hill firm.

    The duo are providing the service for free and limit it to the city boundaries. They use their own equipment, and the only payment they’ll take is the occasional bottle of water.

    It’s their way to give back to the city and spruce up the community.

    “When you can help out, help,” Turner said.

    The Inquirer’s Melanie Burney followed the two friends as they took on eight lawns on a recent summer day.

    Meet the local business behind the food carts for Shore vendors and Disney World

    A Camden-rooted business may have built your favorite food cart.

    For 74 years, Custom Mobile Food Equipment has handmade stainless-steel food wagons and trucks.

    The company’s products have found their way onto Shore boardwalks, U.S bases in Japan, and iconic theme parks such as Disney World and SeaWorld.

    The Hammonton-based company has navigated food trends and consumer behavior changes. VP David Kyle is confident it’ll outlast recent inflation, global competition, and import tariffs.

    Reporter Joseph N. DiStefano provides a window into the business of food carts.

    What to know today

    • A man who recently pleaded guilty to stalking a Philly TV news personality is the same person who was arrested in January for allegedly making threats to New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill when she was a U.S. representative.
    • A sports coach at a Gloucester Township high school was charged with sexual assault of a student, Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAuley said Thursday. He was taken into custody Wednesday.
    • A conservative law firm is urging state officials to repeal guidance regarding transgender students and parental notification, New Jersey Monitor reports.
    • Burlington County will host a breastfeeding celebration and resource fair in Mount Holly today. Local organizations, vendors, and health professionals will be available to provide information.
    • JP Morgan Chase has four new Chase Bank locations under development in Berlin Township, Blackwood, Deptford, and Washington Township, and it continues its expansion into South Jersey, 42 Freeway reports.
    • The home-based A Labor of Loaf Bread Company in Audubon is preparing to open a storefront bakery in Haddon Township.

    🧠 Trivia time

    Buddy Guy performed in South Jersey last week the day after his birthday. How old is the iconic blues singer and guitarist?

    A) 70

    B) 80

    C) 90

    D) 100

    Think you know? Check your answer.

    What we’re …

    ⚽ Watching: The new MLS commissioner and Cherry Hill native Larry Berg pays homage to his father and his South Jersey beginnings.

    🛍️ Touring: The best antique and thrift stores down the Shore.

    ❤️ Planning: A date night at Revell Hall in Burlington.

    🏖️ 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.

    We asked readers about etiquette of playing ball on the beach via the Shore Line group chat.

    Here are a few of the responses:

    • Many years ago a bunch of guys were playing Frisbee. The Frisbee hit me in the face along with the guy diving for it. I lost a tooth from the force of the hit and also needed root canal. They should be far from the crowds.
    • The beachgoer needs to relax. They are kids and we all did it as kids. It’s a public place and to expect kids not to be playing is ridiculous.
    • Hello from Wildwood Crest! Our borough lifeguards maintain a very publicized posted rule about playing ball at the beach: only on the “Back Beach.”

    Where do you land? Do you accept that potentially getting hit is part of the price of enjoying a day on a public beach? Or do you think it should be limited to a dedicated zone? Be part of conversation and email Rosenberg at downtheshore@inquirer.com.

    📸 Photo of the week

    Springhouse Farms, of nearby Upper Township, offers a wide variety of produce at the Sea Isle City Farmers Market.Vernon Ogrodnek / For The Inquirer

    🫑 One last fun thing to do: South Jersey is known for its produce for a reason, and not much is more peaceful than perusing farmers markets on a weekend morning.

    Enjoy your weekend, and I’ll be back in your inbox on Monday. 📧

    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.

  • A lawyer and a teacher are sprucing up Camden, one free lawn cut at a time

    A lawyer and a teacher are sprucing up Camden, one free lawn cut at a time

    With the afternoon sun beating down, Keith Benson and his childhood friend Brian Turner meticulously tended to a lawn in Camden’s Parkside neighborhood on a recent Friday.

    They took turns pushing a red lawn mower that left neat lines in the lush grass. They edged up the perimeter and pulled weeds from the sidewalk in front of the property on Bradley Street.

    A short time later, the pair completed the job, packed up their equipment and sped off to their next assignment in Benson’s burgundy Ford-150 pickup.

    They didn’t get paid and they didn’t want any payment, except possibly a cold bottle of water.

    Keith Benson and his childhood friend Brian Turner help residents and the community by providing free lawn care, in Camden, N.J., July 31, 2026.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    Benson, a Camden High history teacher, and Turner, a litigator and personal injury lawyer at a Cherry Hill law firm, are spending the summer working for free. They want to give back to the city where they have lived and worked.

    “I’m grateful to be able to do it,” said Benson, 46. “We have to pass that on.”

    Benson was looking for something to do when the school year ended in June. He came up with the idea and enlisted Turner to help.

    They shared their plans mainly through word of mouth, friends, and social media posts. The response has been overwhelming and the two have been fielding text messages and calls to schedule appointments.

    Since June, they have cut nearly 100 lawns, including 14 repeat cuts, Benson said. They hope to get back to every lawn once a week, he said. The free service is limited to Camden, and they use their personal equipment.

    “When they text us, we go,” said Turner, 47, of Cinnaminson. “We always show up when we say we will.”

    Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen launched a “Camden Strong” campaign several years ago and has encouraged residents to help spruce up the community. That initiative is cleaning up neighborhoods, removing bulk trash, and restoring public spaces.

    This summer, too, residents such as Elton Custis have been cleaning up their blocks on Saturday mornings for a half hour to support Camden Strong. Custis compiled a list of more than a dozen mostly elderly neighbors for Benson and Turner for the free lawn cutting. They completed them all, he said.

    “I just love the fact that they started this,” Custis said. “They didn’t wait for anybody’s approval. They just got it done. They have been a godsend, that’s for sure.”

    As the temperature approached 90 degrees, Benson and Turner made their fourth stop of the day on Bradley Street. They have worked on the hottest days of the summer, stopping only for inclement weather.

    They cut a vacant lot adjacent to a home where Ted Davis Jr., the son of the city’s first Black judge, now resides. They also mowed his backyard.

    “They’re true to their word, when they say it’s free,“ said Davis, a retired personal trainer and high school coach. ”I offered to pay but they declined.”

    Davis said he was not surprised by the undertaking. He met both as teenagers when the signed up to train with him at his Smart Jox business.

    “I respect them very much,” Davis said. “It’s not a lot of people who are doing what they are doing.”

    Keith Benson and his childhood friend Brian Turner help residents and the community by providing free lawn care, in Camden, N.J., July 31, 2026.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    Earlier that day, Turner, a former assistant Camden city attorney, had stopped in his office at Malamut Law firm and worked for several hours. The firm has supported his community service, he said.

    Benson and Turner met in 1996 their sophomore year at Moorestown Friends School. Benson transferred from Cherry Hill schools.

    “We didn’t like each other at first,” Benson recalled.

    “He hated me,” Turner said.

    They became friends that summer when Benson’s father, also named Keith, forced them to sign up for a basketball camp. The elder Benson was unaware of the tension, but believed the young Black men in a predominantly white school should be friends.

    Both men graduated from Rutgers-Camden where both played basketball and Turner was named the New Jersey Athletic Conference’s Player of the Year in 2002.

    Left to right: Rutgers-Camden basketball teammates Keith Benson, Robert Scott, and Brian Turner circa 2002.Courtesy of Keith Benson

    Both also earned doctorate degrees — Benson in education and Turner in law. Benson lives in Camden and the two conducted basketball clinics at Camden High this summer.

    “Now, they are ridiculously fast friends,” the elder Benson said. “Their friendship is beautiful and I love it.”

    Whistling and humming as they worked, Benson and Turner quickly finished up the lawn on Bradley Street. There was some friendly bantering about whether the lines in the grass were perfectly straight.

    “We do argue all the time,” Benson said.

    “Sometimes, he doesn’t listen,” Turner quipped.

    Next, the pair moved to South Eighth Street to cut the lawn in front of a rowhouse. They also cut the adjacent properties, including in front of a boarded up property on the corner.

    Keith Benson and his childhood friend Brian Turner help residents and the community by providing free lawn care, in Camden, N.J., July 31, 2026.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    They mowed eight lawns for the day. Both said they hope to inspire others to find ways to help their neighbors and the city.

    “We’ll do as many lawns as we can,” Benson said.

    Added Turner: “When you can help out, help.”