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  • Worker was ‘impaled’ by blow torch while dismantling an old crane at EMR Camden

    Worker was ‘impaled’ by blow torch while dismantling an old crane at EMR Camden

    A worker at EMR was impaled by a blow torch while taking apart a crane for scrap metal, according to Camden Fire Department incident reports.

    Camden County had confirmed that a worker at the scrap metal plant had been transported to the hospital after suffering life-threatening injuries less than two weeks ago on July 18. The man remains in the hospital in stable condition and conscious.

    The incident took place less than a week after the company announced its phased reopening after a string of fires. A judge had allowed EMR to resume operations after the company sued the city of Camden for suspending its operations.

    Fire department documents obtained by The Inquirer through a public records request reveal that worker was injured while dismantling a crane.

    He was on a stretcher with “what appeared to be a large Oxy-Acetylene blowtorch handle impaled into his left bicep and into his torso,” when Camden City Fire Department Battalion Chief Ezequiel Tirado arrived on the scene to respond to a burn victim, according to his report.

    Another worker who could not speak English had cuts on his face, and blood and mud on his hands, according to Tirado’s report. They spoke in Spanish, and the man said he was hurt but declined to be brought to the hospital, stating that he’s an undocumented worker.

    “I told him, ‘Don’t worry about that. Let’s get you some help,’” Tirado wrote. “He stared at me then ran away.”

    He was later found at the hospital, Tirado said.

    William Scott, the night time operations manager for EMR, said he did not know what caused the workers’ injuries, according to Tirado’s report. Scott said they were using a cutting torch to cut an old crane for scrap metal.

    Tirado described the site of the incident as “very dark with no lighting equipment” and lots of debris. He said emergency responders set up lighting and discovered a pool of blood near the crane and under a lift.

    Camden County spokesperson Dan Keashen said Wednesday that the now-stabilized man who was impaled with the blow torch was transported to the hospital in critical condition. He said the county police department is still investigating the incident.

    Joe Balzano, the CEO of EMR, said on the phone Wednesday that the workers were subcontractors hired to demolish an old crane and not employees of EMR.

    He said the injured worker is “a very hardworking nice man, unfortunately who was involved in a workplace injury.”

    “We’re just glad that he’s doing well,” the CEO said. “It’s unfortunate, heavy industry situations have, you know, unfortunate accidents … we just hope he does continues to progress well.”

  • Federal judge dismisses Trump administration’s lawsuit seeking New Jersey voter records

    Federal judge dismisses Trump administration’s lawsuit seeking New Jersey voter records

    A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit from President Donald Trump’s administration that sought New Jersey’s unredacted voter files.

    The case — one of more than two dozen lawsuits filed by the Trump administration against states ahead of the midterm election — predates New Jersey’s recent disclosure that thousands of noncitizens had been registered to vote in 2023 and 2024 due to a glitch in the motor vehicle system.

    The Justice Department attempted to use that news as leverage in the case, but it was unsuccessful.

    U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi ruled the department did not have the authority to compel New Jersey to hand over its unredacted records.

    “The Constitution’s architects chose to delegate election administration to the states, recognizing local governments have the deepest understanding of their constituents’ circumstances,” Quraishi wrote in the ruling, which granted New Jersey’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

    Quraishi has become the 18th U.S. District Court judge to rule against the Trump administration on the issue, according to data from the Brennan Center for Justice.

    The Trump administration will likely appeal the case, as the president and his allies have made election security a focal point ahead of the November midterms. It is mounting an appeal in a similar case in Pennsylvania.

    The ruling in the state’s favor came a day after New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill formally told the Justice Department she would not release personal information about noncitizen voters who had been mistakenly added to the state’s voter rolls ahead of the 2024 election.

    Sherrill announced last week that about 6,600 noncitizens had been registered to vote due to a glitch in the automatic voter registration system at the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. She said fewer than 400 had cast ballots and there was no evidence they had affected election results.

    On Tuesday, she said the New Jersey Department of State had begun removing 4,500 voters from the rolls. But there is a chance the rest could actually be citizens, so counties will review those about 2,000 individuals to ensure no eligible voters are disenfranchised, she said.

    Following Sherrill’s disclosure last week, Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon requested the full names, dates of birth, nationalities, and home addresses of the individuals who were erroneously registered, as well as additional information about the noncitizens who voted, within a week.

    Sherrill had publicly indicated she would not hand over the data, but her letter Tuesday put it on the books.

    The Justice Department’s request has no legal basis, Sherrill said in a Tuesday letter to Dhillon, and sharing “extensive personal information about thousands of New Jersey residents” is limited by state and federal privacy laws.

    “Here and always, I remain committed to protecting New Jerseyans’ personally identifying information,” Sherrill wrote, reiterating her stance from the previous week, when she cited concerns about federal data breaches under Trump.

    In response to Sherrill’s rebuffing, Dhillon said the Justice Department’s request was rooted in the legal authority to “keep ineligible voters off its rolls” and vowed to obtain the information “through all legal means!”

    Sherrill’s “refusal to cooperate with federal law enforcement does nothing to protect law-abiding NJ voters,” Dhillon said on X.

    Sherrill on Tuesday criticized the Trump administration for “weaponizing the government against individuals that disagree with them.”

    She pointed to an issue during her campaign last year in which the federal government provided personal information about her that should have been redacted, like her Social Security number, to an ally of her Republican opponent. The National Personnel Records Center director apologized at the time and called it a rare error, but Sherrill claims her data were “weaponized” against her.

    Sherrill has not shied away from the issue of voter access in New Jersey as it becomes a national talking point in the debate over election security after last week’s revelation that thousands of people had been improperly added to the voter rolls when applying for driver’s licenses and identification cards.

    On Tuesday, she championed a new law, the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act, that offers a slew of policies meant to increase voter participation.

    The erroneous registrations took place between June 2023 and June 2024 under former Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration due to a software glitch in New Jersey’s motor vehicle system, which processes the automatic registration when citizens obtain an ID or a license unless they decline.

    Even though they checked “no” when asked if they were a U.S. citizen, the noncitizens were registered anyway.

    Sherrill pointed a finger at her predecessor but a spokesperson for Murphy said the former governor had “no knowledge” of the glitch.

    U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a South Jersey Republican, said he planned to hold hearings over the issue and called on Sherrill to answer a slate of questions.

    Sherrill said Tuesday that her administration had hired a law firm to conduct an independent bipartisan investigation. One of the firm’s main partners worked under former Republican Gov. Chris Christie as attorney general and was later appointed by Christie to the Senate, she noted, saying “we have nothing to hide.”

    Christie said in a post on X that Sherrill “made the right choice tapping my former AG Jeff Chiesa to lead the independent investigation into New Jersey’s voter rolls.”

    “Jeff won’t hide anything from the public,” he said. “You can count on it.”

    But the New Jersey GOP questioned Wednesday why Sherrill would not comply with the Justice Department if she “has nothing to hide.”

    “She ran on transparency and accountability,” the party said in a post online. “Apparently, those were campaign promises that expired the moment she was sworn in.”

    Republicans have seized on the noncitizen voter registrations to make the case for the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship like a passport or birth certificate to register to vote.

  • Akira Suwa, award-winning photojournalist at The Inquirer, has died at 84

    Akira Suwa, award-winning photojournalist at The Inquirer, has died at 84

    Akira Suwa, 84, of Laurel Springs, Camden County, award-winning longtime photojournalist at The Inquirer, mentor, and lifelong green-thumb gardener, died Tuesday, July 14, of complications from dementia at his home.

    Born in what is now South Korea and reared in Japan, Mr. Suwa came to the United States for good in 1967 as a landscape designer and amateur photographer. When a landscaping job at a Florida garden center dried up, he polished his photography skills and, from 1969 to his retirement in 2014, worked as an award-winning staff photographer at the Tampa Tribune, the St. Petersburg Times, the Palm Beach Post, and The Inquirer.

    He joined The Inquirer in 1977 and, for 37 years, provided readers with thousands of illustrative, dramatic, stylish, and emotion-evoking photos from assignments around Philadelphia, South Jersey, and the world. He took poignant photos after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany, and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and during Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Japan.

    He sent back tragic and heroic images of conflict and despair from Libya and Brazil. He photographed drug traffickers in Colombia and was detained by authorities in China.

    Before the Inquirer, Mr. Suwa took photographs for the Palm Beach Post, the St. Petersburg Times, and the Tampa Tribune.Courtesy of the family

    Locally, he photographed athletes celebrating and commiserating, politicians and celebrities walking and waving, fashion models on runways, and restaurant specialties on tables. Former Inquirer colleagues called him a “brilliant photojournalist” and a “funny, engaging and terrific colleague” on Facebook.

    One former colleague said: “Akira told thousands of great stories with his camera.” His family said in a tribute: “Akira believed every story was worth telling.”

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

    Before the Inquirer, Mr. Suwa took photographs on all kinds of assignments for the Palm Beach Post, the St. Petersburg Times, and the Tampa Tribune. His father was an avid amateur photographer back in Japan, and Mr. Suwa honed his own emerging photo skills at nights and on weekends in Florida before joining the Tribune in 1969.

    He won several awards from the National Press Photographers Association and was named the 1973 Florida Newspaper Photographer of the Year by the University of Florida. He mentored young photographers and students, and one former student said: “He taught me so much about making the best photos possible.”

    Mr. Suwa photographed his wife, Deborah, often.Courtesy of the family

    Away from the lens, Mr. Suwa enjoyed tending his backyard garden in South Jersey, watching the birds flit about the feeders, and chasing the squirrels away. His mother was a serious gardener in Japan, and he studied agriculture in California as an exchange student while earning a degree at Tokyo Agricultural University in 1966.

    In 1964, he took a year off from college to work as a busser in the Japan pavilion at the World’s Fair in New York. “I fell in love with America, especially New York City,” Mr. Suwa wrote in an autobiography he shared with his family. “I was young and motivated to do something different from my peers back in Japan.”

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

    Akira Suwa was born Dec. 22, 1941, in what was then Taegu, Korea. He and his family fled Korea for Japan as refugees after World War II, and he grew up mainly in Osaka.

    He never formally studied photography, but his innate camera skills got him a job with a photo studio in Florida in the late 1960s.

    Mr. Suwa photographed these Mummers in 1978. Akira Suwa / Staff Photographer

    He met Deborah Carter through a mutual friend at the studio, and he took her to see the musical Hello, Dolly! on their first date. She was smitten, she said, and they married in 1969, and had daughters Jasmine and Keiko.

    They settled in Laurel Springs when he joined The Inquirer and traveled to Japan several times to visit family and friends. “We enjoyed the best of both cultures,” his wife said.

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

    Mr. Suwa listened to jazz and built his own home computers. He liked to play pranks on the girls, his daughter Keiko said, but was simultaneously warm, serious, and practical. “If there was a job to do,” she said, “he would get it done.”

    His daughter Jasmine said: “He was forthright, sincere, and full of integrity.”

    Mr. Suwa and his family traveled to visit family in Florida and Japan. Courtesy of the family

    He doted on his wife and their grandchildren, and his family praised “his sharp eye, his mischievous sense of humor, and his devotion to his family.” His wife said: “He had my back and was as honest as the day is long.”

    Surviving spouses always remember how they met their mate. Here are the meet-cute stories told to The Inquirer’s obit writer.

    Friends called him “the kindest person,” “wonderful and enormously talented,” and “a caring person to everyone.” He was interviewed by Photo Lounge in 2022 and said: “I just take pictures, and I like people.”

    His wife said: “He was my human, my person, my guy.”

    In addition to his wife and daughters, Mr. Suwa is survived by two grandchildren and other relatives. A brother died earlier.

    Visitation with the family is to be from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, at Gardner Funeral Home, 126 S. Black Horse Pike, Runnemede, N.J. 08078.

    Donations in his name may be made to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Box 2675, New York, N.Y. 10108; and the Animal Welfare Association, 509 Centennial Blvd., Voorhees, N.J. 08043.

  • Switch to new digital tablets in N.J. prisons prompts civil rights lawsuit

    Switch to new digital tablets in N.J. prisons prompts civil rights lawsuit

    A man incarcerated in a New Jersey prison has sued the state in a bid to block corrections officials from forcing prisoners to surrender personal electronic tablets they purchased to message loved ones, listen to music, and access other digital content.

    Alonzo Hill, who has been incarcerated at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton since 1990, filed a civil rights complaint last week asking a federal judge to allow inmates to keep the handheld devices and their content — or require the state to reimburse people what they paid for them.

    The dispute comes as the state Department of Corrections switches to a new provider, ViaPath Technologies, to meet the communications needs of the 13,000 people in state custody.

    JPay had supplied such services since 2014, with people purchasing tablets and paying one-time fees for content they downloaded for use in their cells and recreation areas. The ViaPath tablets, in contrast, are considered loaners that are provided for free but require users to continuously pay for content in a subscription model. ViaPath users in New Jersey prisons also face high restitution fees for damaging tablets and new limits on tablet use outside of cells.

    Inmates bought the JPay tablets and content with the understanding they were “owned property without limitations,” Hill wrote. Yet corrections officials are requiring people to turn them in for disposal or send them home, gave incarcerated people no opportunity to chime in on the changes, and ignored his inquiries and grievances over it, he added.

    That’s a violation of the 14th Amendment, which says that no state shall deprive people of property without due process of law, he charged. Hill is director of his prison’s Inmate Legal Association, a nonprofit in which jailhouse lawyers help other incarcerated people with their court filings and disciplinary matters.

    “Many inmates utilize these tablets and content (at no additional cost) multiple times each day to relieve stress and anxieties of prison life,” Hill wrote. “State inmates were led to believe that if they didn’t violate JPay’s terms or NJDOC’s rules regarding the e-tablets, the chargers and content, that they could purchase and retain both throughout their sentences.”

    He also objected to the “exponential cost increases” he suspects users will face under ViaPath, noting that many inmates make less than $2 a day for prison jobs — and some make nothing, such as those held in disciplinary units.

    Corrections officials also have failed to guarantee that family photos downloaded and digital content purchased through JPay will transfer to the new ViaPath tablets, he added. They told people in custody that JPay tablets not sent home or surrendered for disposal will be considered contraband subject to confiscation, with their owners facing discipline, Hill said.

    Chris Greeder, a Department of Corrections spokesman, declined to comment on the lawsuit.

    But he said in an email that the department, JPay, and ViaPath have “reached an agreement allowing digital assets, including music, emails, photos, and related attachments, to be transferred to the new platform.”

    Eight of the state’s nine adult prisons have transitioned to ViaPath since March, with 9,500 people now using the new tablets, Greeder added. New Jersey State Prison’s switch is scheduled for the week of Aug. 10, he said. The department’s contract with JPay was set to expire this Friday, so officials negotiated a 90-day extension so people incarcerated in Trenton can continue using JPay services, he added.

    Officials switched vendors because ViaPath offers “a modern communications system” at a lower cost than JPay, Greeder said.

    Phone calls, money transfers, electronic messages, and video visits through ViaPath were cheaper than similar services through JPay, according to contracts and price sheets the New Jersey Monitor reviewed in May. It was tough to compare prices for music, movies, games, and such content, though, because those are pay-as-you-go services under ViaPath and outright purchases under JPay.

    The Department of Corrections is “committed to providing incarcerated individuals with safe, secure, reliable communication services” that allow them to communicate with family and loved ones, Greeder said in an email.

    Critics, though, have accused ViaPath of predatory pricing because of its pricing structure, service fees, and other practices, with people incarcerated in Nevada prisons boycotting use of ViaPath tablets earlier this year. The Virginia-based company also has racked up more than 600 complaints in the past three years with the Better Business Bureau and averages one star (out of five) in 87 reviews on its website, with many people complaining about costs and customer service. (JPay fared only marginally better on the watchdog site, with 368 complaints over the same time period and 27 reviews averaging 1.2 stars.)

    Ronald Allen, who’s also incarcerated in Trenton, filed a statement supporting Hill’s lawsuit, voicing an additional concern. He said people make inquiries and file grievances through their JPay tablets, which connect to kiosks in each prison where people download content and communicate both inside and outside the prison via a restricted, surveilled intranet. He has stored all the inquiries and grievances he’s made in the past decade on his JPay tablet, he wrote.

    “Without the kiosks, no accurate, reliable records of inquiries or grievances will exist,” Allen wrote.

    Greeder said officials are working with the vendors to acquire historical records of inquiries and grievances.

    Hill accuses state officials of deliberate indifference and is seeking a court order that would allow inmates to keep their JPay tablets, require the state to transfer all JPay content to the new ViaPath tablets, or reimburse people for content officials can’t or won’t transfer over. People in New Jersey prisons have spent between $1.5 million and $3.2 million each year over the past decade on JPay services, according to data the New Jersey Monitor obtained from the Department of Corrections last spring.

    Hill also is asking the judge to appoint an attorney to represent him in court and award damages of $7,500 per defendant.

    The lawsuit names as defendants ViaPath Technologies, Gov. Mikie Sherrill, Corrections Commissioner Victoria Kuhn, and New Jersey State Prison administrators Jeffrey Crothers and Douglas Stark.

    Spokespeople for Sherrill and ViaPath did not respond to requests for comment.

    This story originally appeared on New Jersey Monitor.

  • Cherry Hill’s Brio Italian Grille is closed. For real this time.

    Cherry Hill’s Brio Italian Grille is closed. For real this time.

    The signage is down and the furniture and appliances were on their way out of Cherry Hill’s Brio Italian Grille on Tuesday after the restaurant permanently shut its doors.

    “We have made the difficult decision to permanently close our Brio location in Cherry Hill,” a sign posted to the restaurant’s entrance reads. “We are grateful for the opportunity to have served this community and are committed to supporting our team members during this transition.”

    A sign posted to the entrance of Brio Italian Grille in Cherry Hill announces the permanent closure of the restaurant on July 28, 2026.Lacey Latch

    Calls to the restaurant went unanswered Tuesday and the location had been removed from the Brio Italian Grille website.

    The closure comes less than two months after staff at the restaurant emphasized that the doors were still open amid rumors of a potential closure.

    The other Brio Italian Grille location in Marlton closed in May, less than a year after the chain’s parent company filed for bankruptcy for the second time in five years.

    South Jersey residents interested in a visit to the Italian restaurant will now have to travel more than 200 miles to the nearest location, in Connecticut.

    The patio at Brio Italian Grille in Cherry Hill was cleared of all furniture save for some stacks of chairs on July 28, 2026 after the restaurant’s sudden closure.Lacey Latch

    Is Fogo de Chão moving in?

    As rumors of closure swirled last month, so, too, did rumors that Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse would move into the space.

    42 Freeway, a publication covering development in South Jersey, first reported the news in May, followed by NJ.com, which cited project plans filed by Fogo de Chão and the owners of the Towne Place shopping center to the Cherry Hill Township Zoning Board of Adjustment in April.

    Those plans propose a remodeled restaurant with 296 seats, and the required zoning permits for the conversion to the steakhouse have already been issued, Cherry Hill Township attorney Cosmas Diamantis previously told The Inquirer.

    Staff were at Cherry Hill’s Brio Italian Grille on July 28, 2026 clearing out the restaurant following the sudden closure.Lacey Latch

    Now, with Brio closed, it is still unclear if the steakhouse plans to lease the property.

    A spokesperson for Fogo de Chão declined to comment on the matter last month and again on Tuesday.

    Joe Morris, an executive for M&M Realty Partners, which owns the landlord entity that manages Towne Place tenants, previously said that the chain has inquired about joining the Cherry Hill retail center for more than a decade. Morris did not respond to requests for comment this week.

    “I can absolutely tell you, if Brio gives their space back, Fogo is 100% a tenant we would be interested in speaking with,” Morris said last month amid the first round of closure rumors.

  • A guard at the Fort Dix federal prison had a yearlong sexual relationship with a prisoner, feds say

    A guard at the Fort Dix federal prison had a yearlong sexual relationship with a prisoner, feds say

    A guard at a federal prison in Fort Dix, Burlington County, had a lengthy sexual relationship with a prisoner and sometimes paid other inmates to act as lookouts while the two had sex in an office, according to federal authorities.

    Jordan Pensak of North Brunswick was charged this week with sexual abuse of a person in custody, court records show.

    Pensak’s relationship with the prisoner — whom authorities did not identify — began after she started working on his unit in 2024, according to a criminal complaint. A witness reported the pair’s suspected encounters to law enforcement, the complaint said, saying Pensak and the man had sex “multiple times” in an office as the paid lookouts stood nearby and watched for other corrections officers.

    Investigators found more than 100 sexually explicit photos and messages that Pensak and the prisoner shared on Instagram and on cell phones the man apparently possessed while behind bars, the complaint said.

    At times, the document said, Pensak was overt in the messages about her relationship with the prisoner, writing in a January message to an unidentified recipient that she had been in the relationship “for the past year” and that she didn’t intend to end it.

    A month later, the complaint said, when someone else asked Pensak if she knew she could be criminally charged and go to jail for her actions, she wrote back: “Yes I know.”

    Pensak also sent messages to people earlier this year in which she detailed a pregnancy scare, the complaint said. At one point, she said that if she were pregnant, the baby would be a different race than her husband, and that it “ain’t good for this investigation.”

    A spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on the allegations against Pensak, but did say Pensak had been placed on administrative leave.

    Attempts to reach Pensak’s lawyer for comment Wednesday were not immediately successful.

  • A Craig LaBan pizza pick in Cherry Hill | Inquirer South Jersey

    A Craig LaBan pizza pick in Cherry Hill | Inquirer South Jersey

    Good morning, South Jersey. Don’t pack away your rain jacket yet. The region is still under a flood watch with more showers expected.

    Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan visited Barclay Pies in Cherry Hill and found a new standard of gluten-free pizza in the region.

    And speaking of Cherry Hill, the township banned large-scale data centers, becoming the latest South Jersey municipality to send a clear message to potential developers.

    Plus, Gov. Mikie Sherrill shared Tuesday that about 2,000 registered voters who were identified last week as noncitizens may actually be citizens after all, and more news of the day.

    — Taylor Allen (southjersey@inquirer.com)

    P.S. If you like what we’re doing — or see room for improvement — take our survey. We want your thoughts so we can better serve you and remain your trusted source for South Jersey news.

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

    Craig LaBan’s gluten-free pizza standard

    There’s a reason Barclay Pies in Cherry Hill generates a lot of buzz among the gluten-free community, according to our food critic, Craig LaBan.

    The owners worked for nine months to create the crust for its gluten-free pies. LaBan explains that the pizza has a bit of cornmeal for the bottom crunch, a frico cheese band around the edges, and a pan-based format that helps to prevent cross-contamination.

    Barclay Pies sells both standard and gluten-free pies, and the latter now accounts for a third of the pizzas they sell.

    “There’s a market need for a pizzeria that was truly inclusive,” co-owner Thomas “TJ” Hunton said.

    Read on for the full review.

    Cherry Hill’s data center ban

    It’s official: No large-scale data centers can come to Cherry Hill.

    The township council voted unanimously this week to list data centers as a non-permitted land use within its borders, as debate around artificial intelligence technology continues nationwide.

    “We don’t think that Cherry Hill should be a guinea pig,” Cherry Hill Mayor David Fleisher said. “So while the technology is evolving, we wanted to be proactive and make sure that we eliminated a problem before it became one.”

    If a developer wanted to build one in the future, they would have to get a land-use variance from the zoning board. And according to a city planner who worked on the ordinance, it’s one of the hardest approvals to get.

    So far, no data center developers have approached the township.

    Reporter Lacey Latch has the story.

    What to know today

    • About 2,000 of the 6,600 New Jersey registered voters who were identified as noncitizens could be citizens after all, Gov. Sherrill said on Tuesday. The news comes a week after her disclosure that a software glitch registered thousands of noncitizens to vote ahead of the 2024 election.
    • A state grand jury voted not to file criminal charges on Monday against a Haddon Township police officer in connection to the fatal shooting of a Pennsauken man while responding to a reported burglary in 2024.
    • Due to this week’s predicted storms, the scheduled maintenance of the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge that was supposed to close to vehicle traffic Tuesday night into Wednesday has now been postponed to begin Monday, Aug. 3, at 9 p.m. and conclude Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 5 a.m.
    • The Burlington County Library System on Wednesday is launching a “StoryWalk,” an interactive attraction that features reading stations that display pages of an illustrated children’s book. The stations are built around the playground at Riverton Memorial Park.
    • Four Green Cats Cafe in Mount Laurel announced an expansion coming later this year to a second location under construction in Haddonfield. Owner Nadia Vasa told New Jersey Voyager it will be called The Grand Salon, with a full commercial kitchen to serve authentic Czech dishes and room to host a cultural program.

    🧠 Trivia time

    The Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden has had several name changes since the venue opened in 1995. Which of the below was its shortest-lived name?

    A) Tweeter Center

    B) BB&T Pavilion

    C) Susquehanna Bank Center

    D) Waterfront Music Pavilion

    Think you know? Check your answer.

    What we’re…

    🥖 Craving: Fresh bread from Dulce Artisanal Pastry in Collingswood.

    🎤 Playing: 76 Seconds with Boyz II Men.

    🏀 Running: The numbers to see how likely it is for the Sixers to clinch a championship with their revamped roster (thank you, LeBron).

    🧩 Unscramble the anagram

    Hint: 🎓 The Prof

    INTRAVENOUS WIRY

    Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Dan Tureck, who solved last Wednesday’s anagram: Rancocas Creek. It’s Burlington County’s largest interior river.

    🏡 On the market

    A private Medford home with a large backyard deck

    Sitting on almost five acres, this Medford home has hardwood floors, a modern kitchen with an exposed brick wall, four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, and a family room.

    Outside, there’s space for gardening, a deck for entertaining, and an above-ground pool. Catch an open house this Sunday from noon to 2 p.m.

    See more photos of the property here.

    Price: $539,999 | Size: 1,836 SF |Acreage: 4.89

    Congrats on making it halfway through the week! 🎉 Let’s do this again tomorrow.

    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.

  • Craig LaBan reviews Barclay Pies | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    Craig LaBan reviews Barclay Pies | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    Hello, Cherry Hill! 👋

    Finding a good gluten-free pizza can be a challenge, but Barclay Pies has risen to it, according to Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan. Also this week, the township has banned large-scale data centers, the former chief baking officer at Classic Cake is opening a nearby cake shop, plus, the latest on roadwork throughout the township.

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

    Barclay Pies sets a new standard for gluten-free pizza

    A gluten-free pepperoni pizza at Barclay Pies. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    Gluten-free pies that don’t look like cardboard circles and mozzarella sticks that are safe for non-gluten-eaters to enjoy? Barclay Pies is serving up versions of both that are far tastier than many of their contemporaries, according to Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan.

    He recently reviewed the roughly year-old Marlton Pike pizza joint and he’s not the only one impressed by the shop’s high-hydration crusts dusted with cornmeal. The shop has gained buzz among the gluten-free community, so much so that gluten-free pies make up about a third of all Barclay’s orders.

    Here’s what LaBan liked about the Detroit-style offerings and how they stack up to their gluten-filled counterparts.

    💡 Community News

    • In case you missed it, large-scale data centers have been banned from being developed in Cherry Hill after township council voted on a zoning ordinance amendment at Monday’s meeting. The Inquirer’s Lacey Latch has the details.
    • The former site of Roma Bank at 1951 Route 70 East could soon become a medical office complex. The developer will go before the planning board on Monday for variance approval for a 6,000-square-foot space for up to two tenants.
    • Roadwork continues on Kenilworth Avenue, and Haddonfield-Berlin, Kresson, Springdale, and Old Orchard Roads, causing closures, detours, and delays. Here’s the latest.
    • After months of searching, Chabad of Cherry Hill West has found a new home in an office building on Chapel Avenue, near AMC Theatres, Philadelphia Jewish Exponent reports.
    • The township mailed tax bills for the second half of 2026 last week and has extended the grace period until Aug. 19.

    🏫 Schools Briefing

    • Kwame Morton is the second-highest paid superintendent in Camden County, according to state budget data for 2025-26. He had a base salary of $242,925, putting him behind Winslow Township’s superintendent and ahead of Camden City’s. That figure ranks 91st statewide, according to the Courier Post.

    🍽️ On our Plate

    • Al DiBartolo, the former chief baking officer at Classic Cake on Evesham Road, is opening his own 900-square-foot bakery within Del Buono’s Pastry Shop, which is set to debut in Haddon Township late next month. DiBartolo’s Kakery will have grab-and-go cakes, as well as custom and wedding cakes.
    • Quickway Japanese Hibachi opened this week at Ellisburg Shopping Center. The eatery serves bento boxes, sushi, poke, and hibachi dishes.

    🎳 Things to Do

    🕺 80s and 90s Party: Throwback hip hop and R&B tunes will dominate this dance party. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 1, 6-10 p.m. 💵 $24.71 📍 Vera

    🎧 Cherry Hill Record Riot: Browse dozens of tables of albums. ⏰ Sunday, Aug. 2, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 💵 Prices vary 📍 Holiday Inn Philadelphia-Cherry Hill

    🫧 Mr. Foamtastic Foam Party: Kids can play in suds outside the library. ⏰ Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2-3 p.m. (Rain date: Aug. 7) 💵 Free 📍 Cherry Hill Public Library

    🚓 National Night Out: The community event will feature demonstrations, food, games, and music. ⏰ Tuesday, Aug. 4, 6-8:30 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Croft Farm

    🗓️ Looking for more things to do? Check out our guide to ongoing South Jersey events.

    🏡 On the Market

    An updated century-old bungalow

    The exterior of 106 Linderman Ave. in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
    The exterior of 106 Linderman Ave. in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.Tory Schroff, Keller Williams Realty – Moorestown

    Built in 1926, this three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in the Barlow neighborhood has been recently updated and features two spaces to connect to the outdoors. In the front, there’s an enclosed porch, while out back, a deck leads to the yard and a detached two-car garage.

    See more photos of the home here.

    Price: $389,900 | Size: 1,500 SF | Acreage: 0.14

    🗞️ What other Cherry Hill residents are reading this week:

    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.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • Strong storms prompt tornado and flood warnings in the Philly region

    Strong storms prompt tornado and flood warnings in the Philly region

    With the atmosphere behaving like a shaken bottle of champagne, potent storms crossed the Philly region Tuesday night, prompting tornado and flood warnings.

    The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for parts of Chester and Delaware Counties and northern Delaware. The warning area included Chester city and Wilmington, where a funnel cloud reportedly was sighted, the weather service said.

    It was not yet known if any twisters had touched down.

    The federal Storm Prediction Center, which issued the general twister advisory, also had the entire region under a severe thunderstorm watch until 10 p.m.

    The weather service also had posted numerous flash-flood and severe-storm warnings. The agency posted a report of “multiple” homes flooded in West Brandywine Township, Chester County,

    Rainfall this summer has been maddeningly capricious, but this time it appeared that the entire region is going to win some share of the rain lottery proceeds, wanted or not.

    “I think this is the type of setup where everyone is going to get rain,” said Marc Chernard, senior branch forecasters with the federal Weather Prediction Center, in College Park, Md. The center had Philadelphia and its neighboring counties targeted for “excessive rainfall” potential.

    The National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly has a flash-flood watch in effect until 2 p.m. Wednesday, with a general 1 to 3 inches expected across the region.

    For flood potential, what would matter would be the rainfall rates, and it’s possible the skies could wring out localized amounts of 3 inches an hour, said Chernard.

    Storms could be quite potent, said Patrick O’Hara, meteorologist at the Mount Holly office. The weather service warned that a “few tornadoes” are possible.

    “Some of the stuff in Delmarva, South Jersey, maybe even Philadelphia, may be spinning.” said O’Hara. “Welcome to July weather in Philadelphia.”

    People caught in the heavy rain storm as they cross the street in Philadelphia Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in University City.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    The likeliest time for strong storms in the Philly region

    An early batch of strong storms is likely to miss Philly and most of the afternoon may be rain-free, but a second round late in the day into the evening won’t, O’Hara said, with a round of soaking downpours likely.

    “That will be just torrents,” he said. He expected the heaviest of the rains to appear around 6 or 7 p.m.

    Said Chernard, “It could be a lot of rain that comes around quickly.”

    The system triggering the rain is something of a hybrid, born of a pattern more common to the cooler weather of fall and spring when temperature contrasts in the atmosphere are sharper, O’Hara said.

    “We have a situation where we have summertime heat and humidity, but almost out-of-season dynamics,” he said.

    Whatever the cause, the storms could have “significant impacts,” said Chernard.

    Chernard said he expected the worst of the rains to move out of the region later Tuesday night; however, the shut-off time remains uncertain.

    Showers could return Wednesday night.

    The flood potential

    After months of below-normal precipitation leading up to a July that has been the wettest month since March 2024, “base” stream levels are relatively low, said O’Hara.

    And neither the Delaware nor Schuylkill Rivers are in imminent danger of sloshing over.

    However, rain rates of 2 or 3 inches of hour are enough to generate flash flooding along streams. During a localized downpour on Monday, Pennypack Creeks in the Northeast rose to minor flood stage.

    Heavy rains flooded downtown streets and swamped cars in Hammonton, Atlantic County.

    How much for Philly?

    With July thunderstorms it isn’t simply a question of how much for Philly, but how much for South Philly, Center City, Germantown, or Fox Chase.

    Even though everyone might get rain, the heaviest rains will be concentrated, said Chernard.

    What is almost certain is that some places are going to get a soaking.

    At least no smoke is in the forecast.

  • American Airlines says technology outage temporarily halted flights

    American Airlines says technology outage temporarily halted flights

    American Airlines said Tuesday night that flights were temporarily halted because of a “technology issue” but have begun to resume.

    “A technology issue briefly impacted connectivity for some of our systems on Tuesday evening,” the airline posted on social media.

    “Systems are coming back online now and flights are departing again. We put a temporary ground stop in place while our teams worked to resolve the issue. We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience,” the airline said.

    American Airlines is the busiest carrier at Philadelphia International Airport.