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  • Collingswood’s first cat cafe | Inquirer South Jersey

    Collingswood’s first cat cafe | Inquirer South Jersey

    Good morning, South Jersey.

    Collingswood welcomed its first cat cafe where visitors can grab a coffee, play with kittens, and possibly bring home a new furry friend.

    And just days after Camden’s EMR recycling scrapyard reopened, an employee was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

    Plus, Gov. Mikie Sherrill revealed that a glitch allowed 6,600 noncitizens to register to vote ahead of the 2024 election, and more news of the day.

    — Taylor Allen (southjersey@inquirer.com)

    P.S. You probably have questions, and we want to track down the answers. Submit an inquiry about the region to Curious South Jersey and our reporters might look into it.

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

    Can you feel it in the Catmosphere?

    Catmosphere Cafe & Lounge on Collingswood’s Haddon Avenue was only open for a week by the time it facilitated three adoptions.

    The business, which opened earlier this month, provides a temporary home for adoptable cats. The lounge fosters six to eight cats and kittens at a time through a partnership with Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center in Blackwood.

    With toys, food, water, and plenty of beds, the cats get comfortable accommodations while also getting the chance to meet their potential new families.

    “This is my calling,” cofounder Sophia Coello said. “I just love watching and understanding cats’ behavior because if you understand a cat’s behavior, you understand how to create a bond with them. I feel like anyone can create a bond with a cat.”

    Reporter Lacey Latch has the story on how this business came to be.

    🐈 P.S. Though I already have two cats, this article has introduced me to my weekend plans.

    A hospitalization days after EMR reopened

    An employee of Camden’s EMR scrap metal recycling plant was hospitalized with injuries on Saturday, soon after a court ruling allowed it to reopen.

    The company had sued the city last month after Camden halted its operations following multiple fires at the facility. A judge allowed the plant to reopen, but required fire safety precautions.

    The plant announced that it would start some activity on Monday of last week and be fully operational by Friday.

    A worker was sent to the hospital the next day with “life-threatening injuries,” confirmed by a Camden County spokesperson. He also said local police were investigating the “industrial accident.”

    The Inquirer’s Aliya Schneider has the latest.

    What to know today

    🧠 Trivia time

    The Adventure Aquarium in Camden unveiled three little blue penguin chicks — the smallest species of penguin in the world — earlier this year. What is this species also called?

    A) Fairy penguins

    B) Mini penguins

    C) Crested penguins

    D) Banded penguins

    Think you know? Check your answer.

    What we’re …

    🍰 Craving: A sweet treat from Classic Cake in Cherry Hill.

    💭 Wondering: If you would correct a new coworker who incorrectly pronounces Wawa as “waWa.”

    ❌ Avoiding: Mosquitoes.

    🧩 Unscramble the anagram

    Hint: 💧 A tributary

    CRACKERS CANOE

    Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Lucie Lioko, who solved last Wednesday’s anagram: Haddon Avenue. The street is a well-known business corridor and one of South Jersey’s popular restaurant hubs.

    🏡 On the market

    A four-bedroom Audubon home with a backyard garden

    This Audubon home is located near Haddon Lake Park. SKEPhoto | Courtesy of Cassie Healy/Prisma Homes at Keller Williams Cherry Hill

    Built in 1951, this Audubon home with hardwood floors has a family room, living room, an office, a formal dining room, and a kitchen on the first floor. Four bedrooms are upstairs. Outside, the backyard features a sitting area for guests and space for gardening.

    See more photos of the property here.

    Price: $514,000 | Size: 1,903 SF | Acreage: 0.28

    That’s all I have for you this morning. 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.

  • Collingswood, ‘a cat community,’ has officially opened its first cat cafe

    Collingswood, ‘a cat community,’ has officially opened its first cat cafe

    Two kittens with seemingly endless energy jump around the room in downtown Collingswood chasing their toys, their own tails, and their newest friend, 19-month-old Charlotte Kohlhas-DeMarsh. The toddler babbles excitedly as the kittens, Chicken Nugget and Onion Ring, leap at the feather attached to the wand she’s swinging around.

    The kittens are just two of the adoptable cats at Catmosphere Cafe & Lounge, a new cat cafe that opened at 557 Haddon Ave. on July 10.

    In partnership with Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center in Blackwood, Catmosphere provides a temporary home for adoptable cats where they can comfortably sleep, play, and potentially meet their forever families.

    Owners Sophia Coello and Marcus Tirado at their Catmosphere Cafe & Lounge on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Within the first week, the business has already facilitated three adoptions.

    “Every cat has gone to a perfect family,” said Sophia Coello, cofounder of Catmosphere. “It has really been a perfect match with every single cat.”

    The new cat lounge fosters around six to eight cats and kittens at a time, helping to free up space for more intakes at Homeward Bound.

    Equipped with food, water, toys and countless beds, the lounge provides the cats with a less stressful environment than a traditional animal rescue. This gives them a chance to acclimate and eventually feel comfortable showing their real personalities, Coello said, which only increases their chance of being adopted.

    All proceeds collected from adoption fees — $150 for a kitten and $75 for an adult cat — go back to Homeward Bound.

    The idea for Catmosphere was originally inspired by a goat yoga session in December 2024, Coello said. As she was surrounded by the farm animals, Coello, who identifies as a lifelong cat person, couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to be in a similarly relaxing environment — but accompanied by cats instead.

    “This is my calling,” she said. “I just love watching and understanding cats’ behavior because if you understand a cat’s behavior, you understand how to create a bond with them. I feel like anyone can create a bond with a cat.”

    “And once you form that bond and that trust, it’s actually the most beautiful connection that you could grow with an animal,” she said.

    Cats climb on the wall at the Catmosphere Cafe & Lounge on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Collingswood’s first cat cafe recently opened downtown.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Alongside her partner, Marcus Tirado, the pair of Rowan University graduates soon began looking for the perfect location to set up their new business — somewhere in an animal-loving community with lots of foot traffic. They eventually settled on Collingswood’s bustling Haddon Avenue, breathing new life into what was once a thrift store.

    “This is a cat community,” Coello said of the borough, where neighborhood cats are common and well taken care of, and residents are quick to come together when locating a lost pet.

    As head of construction, Tirado did the majority of the renovation work himself, leaning on friends and family to help transform the cluttered space into a bright cafe with sleeping kittens dreaming in the front window. The soft-pink walls are adorned with a hand-painted logo as Lego figurines in the likeness of the couple’s two rescue cats overlook the cafe, a reminder of their mission to connect as many cats as possible with loving homes.

    Charlotte Kohlhas-DeMarsh, 19 months, plays with cats at the Catmosphere Cafe & Lounge Thursday, July 16, 2026. She was visiting with her grandmother, Jenifer Kohlhas, at Collingswood’s first cat cafe recently opened downtown.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Catmosphere accepts both appointments and walk-ins for the cat lounge which currently costs $20 per hour. During some of the early bookings, Coello said they’ve helped kids remain calm and be gentle during their first interaction with a cat.

    As they get more established, they’re looking forward to expanding their business by hosting workshops, working with local schools, and more, they said.

    And if you’re allergic to cats, don’t worry. Catmosphere still has something for you.

    Entirely separate from the cat lounge, the cafe itself is hypo-allergenic, Coello said.

    Cat toys at the Catmosphere Cafe & Lounge Thursday, July 16, 2026. Collingswood’s first cat cafe recently opened downtown.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Large windows along the walkway from the front door create a “kitty drive-thru,” she said, where you can get a glimpse inside the cat lounge while remaining protected from any allergens.

    Located on the more residential end of Haddon Avenue, the pair also hope that Catmosphere, alongside neighboring businesses like the barber and ice cream shops across the street, can help strike up more activity in this part of downtown.

    “We would love to bring more events to this side of the community,” Coello said.

    They also hope the lounge can serve as an educational resource for the cat-loving community, helping to answer questions about adoption, common cat behaviors, and best practices.

    Charlotte Kohlhas-DeMarsh, 19 months, says goodbye to cats inside the front window as she leaves outside the Catmosphere Cafe & Lounge Thursday, July 16, 2026, She was visiting with her grandmother, Jenifer Kohlhas. Collingswood’s first cat cafe recently opened downtown.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    As Kohlhas-DeMarsh happily followed her furry friends around the room Thursday morning, her grandmother Jenifer Kohlhas looked on, enjoying a drink from the cafe.

    They’ve been looking forward to Catmosphere’s opening and finally stopped in for the first time, in part to avoid last week’s dangerous air quality but also to give Charlotte a chance to interact with friendly cats, Kohlhas said.

    Their family has a formerly feral cat at home who isn’t particularly fond of the toddler, she said.

    “I thought this would be a great opportunity for her to just be with a kitten that actually lets her play with it,” she said, as Charlotte cheerfully waddled around the room. “And she’s having a blast.”

  • Our guide to mini golfing | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    Our guide to mini golfing | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    Hello, Cherry Hill! 👋

    Looking for a fun summer activity? We’ve rounded up seven area spots to mini golf, including one in the township. Also this week, a longtime mall staple recently expanded, a local developer is involved with the Freedom Fuel gas stations, plus, a new ice cream joint is opening later this year.

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

    7 nearby spots to go mini golfing

    Monster Mini Golf, which has a location in Cherry Hill, features glow-in-the-dark elements, including a large skull. Courtesy Monster Mini Golf Cherry Hill NJ

    It’s a quintessential summer experience, and a nostalgia-inducing one for many. With the dog days of summer here, Inquirer contributor Jen Kinney has rounded up seven area spots to strike up a friendly game of mini golf.

    Among them is Monster Mini Golf, the indoor concept on Springdale Road that gives the game a spooky twist. Two of the best holes? One with a glowing skull and another with an extra challenge.

    Bonus: You can also play arcade games and bowling.

    See where else you can hit the (mini) links locally.

    💡 Community News

    • One of the Cherry Hill Mall’s earliest tenants continues to thrive, recently expanding into a larger space. Known for its gag gifts, Spencer’s opened its first brick-and-mortar at the mall in 1963. The Inquirer’s Sarah Nicell explores how it’s continued to grow in the years since.
    • Cherry Hill developer Shamikh Kazmi and his brother Syed Kazmi have been linked to at least six locations of the President Donald Trump-backed Freedom Fuel network. The chain of gas stations made a splash earlier this month by selling cheaper fuel, but that’s no longer the case, with gas prices on the rise. Here’s what to know about the stations.
    • Roadwork continues this week on Kenilworth Avenue and Kresson Road, causing closures and lane shifts. Here’s the latest. Visit the township website for a look at all the current projects, along with estimated timelines for completion.
    • The Vital Stretch, which specializes in stretch therapy, is coming to Cherry Hill, taking space at Pine Tree Plaza at 1422 Route 70.

    🏫 Schools Briefing

    🍽️ On our Plate

    • A new ice cream shop is coming to Cherry Hill, with a planned fall opening. Ooty’s Homemade Ice Cream is opening at 1900 Greentree Rd., where it will serve small-batch scoops.

    🎳 Things to Do

    🍦 Senior Ice Cream Social: Residents 55 and over can get free ice cream while mingling with neighbors. Registration is encouraged. ⏰ Wednesday, July 22, 2-4 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Carman Tilelli Community Center

    🏊‍♀️ Cherry Bowl: Now in its 66th year, the competition will see hundreds of swimmers take to the lanes. ⏰ Saturday, July 25, gates open at 6 a.m., events start at 8:45 a.m. 💵 $11 📍 Fox Hollow Swim Club

    💫 Music Under the Stars: Country music cover band 40 North Country will take the stage. There will also be food trucks and a beer garden. ⏰ Tuesday, July 28, 7 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Barclay Farmstead

    🍷 Randall’s Food and Wine Fest: Sample a selection of food and wine pairings from around the world. ⏰ Wednesday, July 29, 5:30 p.m. 💵 $59 📍 Randall’s Restaurant

    🏡 On the Market

    A charming three-bedroom brick home

    The home has three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms.Steve Edwards | Courtesy of Nick Strom/Coldwell Banker Realty

    Located in the Colwick neighborhood, this three-bedroom brick home has been in the same family for over five decades, according to the listing agent. It has a living room with a bay window, a family room with a brick fireplace and a bar, as well as an updated eat-in kitchen. Out back, there’s a deck overlooking the backyard. There are open houses Saturday and Sunday from noon to 2 p.m.

    See more photos of the home here.

    Price: $499,900 | Size: 1,922 SF | Acreage: 0.21

    🗞️ 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.

  • High-protein soft pretzels and soups are on the menu as Philly’s iconic food brands compete for GLP-1 consumers

    High-protein soft pretzels and soups are on the menu as Philly’s iconic food brands compete for GLP-1 consumers

    A soft pretzel from Philly Pretzel Factory currently has about 12 grams of protein.

    But sometime soon, you will be able to buy one with much more.

    The company says it is in the early stages of developing a high-protein pretzel, one of several new products it hopes will attract consumers concerned about weight loss.

    “Obviously, the trend is protein,” said company president Marty Ferrill. “Even people who are on GLP-1s, they’re looking for more protein-rich foods.”

    Philly Pretzel Factory is just one of the area companies changing their products to accommodate consumers who are eating less and “protein-maxxing.” The viral nutrition trend refers to an increasing obsession with eating more protein based on the idea that it builds muscle.

    A recent Gallup survey reported approximately one in eight U.S. adults are taking appetite-suppressing GLP-1 medications.

    GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy were initially created to treat individuals with type 2 diabetes by regulating blood sugar levels, but their hunger-suppressing effects have spurred wider adoption for weight loss. A JPMorgan report estimates that by 2030, up to 30 million Americans may be using GLP-1 medications, especially as pill formats become available.

    As the medications rise in popularity and appetites shrink, the food industry could face headwinds. A recent study found that within six months of starting a GLP-1 medication, households with at least one GLP-user reduce their annual grocery spending by $390 on average.

    But this isn’t the industry’s first rodeo.

    The low-fat craze of the 1980s and the carb-phobic diets of the 2000s also forced food brands to rethink their products.

    “Until there’s a magic pill where you just don’t have to eat, period, the food industry will respond,” said Ernest Baskin, chair of St. Joseph’s University’s Food, Pharma, and Healthcare Department. “They’re going to change their product to appeal to the next generation of consumers.”

    Making every bite count

    Philly Pretzel Factory’s protein-enriched pretzels are an example of functional foods, which are foods that have been formulated to contain added nutrients and health-enhancing substances.

    Functional foods can be especially important for GLP-1 users, who eat smaller portions but still require their necessary vitamins and minerals.

    “In a world where you’re not eating as much, you want everything to count,” said Baskin.

    Campbell’s, the Camden-based food and snack giant, has ventured into the functional foods market with a recent launch of five protein soups that offer 20 grams of protein per can.

    The Campbell’s Company launched five new protein soups with 20 grams of protein per can.The Campbell's Company

    The company also released a new protein-fortified snack option with Snyder’s of Hanover’s harvest wheat pretzel sticks, which offer 6 grams of protein per serving. (As opposed to 3 grams for a standard pretzel stick serving.)

    The options “give consumers choices that fit their nutritional goals and lifestyles while helping get more out of every bite,” says Dave Chalk, Campbell’s vice president of enterprise insights and analytics.

    The recipes of popular Philly foods are changing too, as consumers prioritize better-for-you ingredients. In addition to the protein pretzel at Philly Pretzel Factory, their regular pretzels are undergoing a “clean label” reformulation.

    Ferrill said the company is ensuring consistent taste while changing some components: using unbleached flour instead of bleached, removing the additive potassium bromate, and replacing whey protein with a plant-based substitute. That means the franchise’s iconic pretzels will become vegan this year.

    “The urgency is [greater] now than it was three years ago,” said Ferrill, noting that the company has been developing the clean-label pretzel for years.

    Greater control over meals and portions

    At Honeygrow, a fast-casual chain that offers salads and stir-fries, customization is another option for GLP-1 users, said Todd Miller, senior vice president of marketing.

    More Honeygrow customers are choosing whole-wheat noodles — which offer 17 grams of fiber and 13 grams of protein — for their stir-fries, or crafting more vegetable-forward meals, said Miller.

    A chicken parm stir-fry at Honeygrow is at the 11th Street location in Philadelphia in 2024.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    “What is becoming increasingly important is the ability to personalize a meal around the nutrients and portions that matter to each customer,” Miller said.

    Campbell’s is banking on similar personalization preferences. Some research shows GLP-1 users are dining out less to control portion sizes and ingredients. With brands like Pacific Foods, Swanson, and Rao’s under the Campbell’s umbrella, the company’s cooking essentials business is benefiting.

    “The biggest opportunity within Campbell’s portfolio is the confidence consumers have gained with cooking at home,” Chalk said.

    People still want good food

    Despite moving toward healthier choices, many food companies are serious about not compromising flavor.

    For Honeygrow, that means continually introducing limited-time offers and keeping up to date with new ingredients to attract customers. Currently, Honeygrow’s seasonal summer menu includes a ginger scallion stir-fry and a pomegranate acai salad.

    “Even though you’re on a GLP-1, that doesn’t mean that you don’t want delicious food,” said Miller.

    Taste matters. When choosing what to eat, people are looking for enjoyment, comfort, and connection, said Ami Lawson, managing director of food and beverage marketing agency Quench.

    “The brands that will win aren’t the ones chasing the GLP-1 trend, they’re the ones delivering foods that people genuinely feel are worth eating,” said Lawson.

    Nostalgia and memory also play a significant role in food choice. Take soft pretzels, a Philly food staple.

    “If you grew up eating pretzels, you’re probably going to give up other things before you give up your pretzels,” Ferrill, of Philly Pretzel Factory, said.

  • The men behind Trump’s $3.47 gas: An NFL coach, a GOP fundraiser and two New Jersey brothers

    The men behind Trump’s $3.47 gas: An NFL coach, a GOP fundraiser and two New Jersey brothers

    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and his White House have enthusiastically promoted the Freedom Fuel Network, a chain of star-spangled convenience stores selling gas at $3.47 per gallon in honor of the 47th president.

    Untangling exactly who is behind the Philadelphia-area venture has proven difficult. Records indicate the chain, which was launched last month, is run by a disparate collection of businessmen that includes an NFL kicking coach, a GOP fundraiser and a New Jersey entrepreneur who this year was ordered, along with his brother, to pay civil damages for unlawfully taking more than 200,000 gallons of fuel.

    At Trump-promoted Freedom Fuel gas stations, prices are up and questions linger

    How the stations got Trump’s attention remains a mystery, and the four businessmen declined to — or could not be reached for — comment.

    What is clear: Trump loved the idea of cheaper gas. The president celebrated the network’s gas prices just before the busy July 4th travel period as consumers were grappling with higher oil prices sparked by the war with Iran.

    “I am pleased to announce that a VERY smart Retailer, located throughout the Northeast, is stepping up,” Trump wrote about the company on his Truth Social platform on July 1. “America has never been stronger than it is now, and Gas Prices will soon be back to the Record Low Prices Americans enjoyed at the pump before our very successful ‘excursion’ in Iran.”

    The White House followed up with a post on X a few days later that heralded the opening of the first Freedom Fuel station and produced a video showing patrons waving wads of cash and thanking Trump for reducing the prices outside a store festooned with American flags and a golden eagle logo.

    That station, located in Dresher, Pennsylvania, is owned by a subsidiary of Blue Owl Capital, an investment firm, records show. Trump has owned up to $25 million worth of Blue Owl stock, though his most recent financial disclosure says he has sold almost all of that stake.

    The White House denied Trump had any personal connection to the venture, but declined to say how the project was developed. It acknowledged having discussions with individuals who set up the network of gas stations.

    “The Administration is not involved in the company, nor has the Administration given the company any funding. There is no other entity or person subsidizing the lower gasoline costs,” the White House wrote in a statement.

    Blue Owl owns about a third of the Freedom Fuel properties, though the company said it leases the stores to independent contractors and “is not involved in the tenant’s operations or business decisions.”

    Fourteen stations in the 25-location network are controlled by companies linked to Shamikh and Syed Kazmi, two brothers who have been dogged by a string of civil misconduct accusations, including fraud, records show.

    Shamikh Kazmi is leasing eight of those stations from Blue Owl, according to state records and people familiar with the businesses who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. The Associated Press was able to link the brothers to six other Freedom Network locations through records that show they listed those stations’ addresses as headquarters for other ventures or supplied those locations with fuel.

    A White House official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the project, said that no one at the White House who was in conversations with Freedom Fuel Network had specifically spoken or worked with Syed Kazmi, a claim that indicates discussions occurred with the other brother, Shamikh.

    The Kazmis have marketed themselves as “top tier” petroleum distributors and gas station operators, with over 75 years of experience and a deep well of corporate affiliations, according to an archived version of the website for one of their companies.

    Public records offer a more nuanced portrait, showing the Kazmis have been repeatedly sued by companies they had dealings with.

    The brothers have legal issues

    Legal filings detail a series of judgments against the Kazmis, who failed to comply with a court order and have been accused of obscuring their finances and dodging service processors as a growing list of former suppliers and franchisors sought payment.

    In February, a federal judge in New Jersey ordered the Kazmis to pay over $600,000 to a fuel supplier that accused the brothers of stealing gas. The supplier alleged in court filings that it cut the brothers off after they refused to sign a new contract. But the Kazmis exploited a security lapse and gained access to the supplier’s fuel depot. Over a ten-day period in August 2021, tanker trucks absconded with more than 230,000 gallons of fuel, according to the supplier’s court filings. A judge ruled in the supplier’s favor, finding the brothers unlawfully took the gas.

    The fuel supplier says it has yet to receive payment.

    Syed Kazmi was hit with a $380,000 judgment two years ago in a suit brought by 7-Eleven, the convenience chain, which accused him of “dishonest, unethical, immoral” conduct while operating a franchise in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, that was flagged for unsanitary conditions that included trash issues and a rodent infestation. The company also said “tens of thousands of dollars” of cigarettes ordered from 7-Eleven on credit had gone missing.

    A federal judge held a company operated by Shamikh Kazmi in contempt in 2022 in a trademark case brought by BP America.

    Though BP had severed ties with Kazmi’s Diwan Petrol two years prior to the legal action, the corporation’s signage had not been removed from the gas station despite a court order to do so. The judge authorized U.S. Marshals to accompany BP workers to remove it.

    A man who answered a call to a number listed for the Kazmi brothers said he was not the right person to talk to and instead directed inquiries to the Freedom Fuel Network’s website. But that website has no contact information, phone number or mailing address. A request for comment submitted through an online contact form was not answered.

    Company formed in a state known for opacity

    Records from Delaware, a state known for offering incorporators a large degree of opacity, show the Freedom Fuel Network was registered on June 23. The document forming the company was signed by Randy Brown and Yoni Gontownik.

    Politico and the website The Newsground reported that Brown is a senior special teams coach with the Baltimore Ravens. He has also served as the elected mayor of Evesham Township, a New Jersey suburb of Philadelphia, where a Freedom Fuel Network station is located.

    Brown, a Republican, considered a run for Congress in 2021, telling a local newspaper he was a conservative and a “proud Trump supporter.”

    Gontownik is a former investment director at Mercuria, a Swiss-owned commodities trading firm. He and his wife live in northern New Jersey and have been active with the pro-Israel political action committee NORPAC, including hosting fundraisers for Republican members of Congress.

    Gontownik and Brown did not respond to requests for comment.

    Experts say gas likely sold for a loss

    Jeff Lenard, a spokesman for the National Association of Convenience Stores, said Freedom Fuel’s rock bottom promotional price meant the chain was likely selling the gas at a loss.

    “It’s not unusual for retailers to have prices that are different than a market when they’re looking to make a splash,” said Lenard, whose association’s members account for most U.S. retail fuel sales, adding that such a splash typically lasts “a matter of hours or a matter of days.”

    Social media posts and gas-price checking websites show that the per-gallon rate advertised at Freedom Fuel locations began creeping up this week.

    A Freedom Fuel station in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, for example, on Thursday was selling regular gasoline for $3.82 a gallon. That was 27 cents cheaper than at a Sunoco station across the street.

    The Freedom Fuel Network posted a note of thanks to its website this week, crediting Trump’s “strong endorsement” for the “explosive growth” of their business.

    “Despite the misinformation and baseless speculation circulating,” the statement reads, ”let us set the record straight: Freedom Fuel Network is proudly lowering its prices to benefit our community.”

  • New Jersey reveals glitch allowed 6,600 noncitizens to register to vote ahead of 2024 election

    New Jersey reveals glitch allowed 6,600 noncitizens to register to vote ahead of 2024 election

    Roughly 6,600 people who were not citizens were improperly registered to vote over a yearlong span ahead of the 2024 election because of a software error in New Jersey’s motor vehicle system, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill disclosed Tuesday.

    The revelation came just days after President Donald Trump’s administration targeted New Jersey as one of four states that the Department of Homeland Security claimed had noncitizens on its voter rolls, along with neighboring Pennsylvania. The White House said the announcement from New Jersey underscored the need for Trump’s proposed national overhaul of elections.

    Among the noncitizens, who were wrongly registered between June 2023 and June 2024, fewer than 400 cast a ballot, Sherrill said.

    The voters were scattered across the state and registered as Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters, though the office did not provide percentage breakdowns.

    Sherrill, a Democrat who took office in January, pointed a finger at her predecessor, noting that the wrongful registrations took place under former Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy. She said that she “immediately ordered” her chief counsel to investigate the issue and that the individuals erroneously added to the voter rolls be removed “before the next election,” which will be the November midterms that will determine control of Congress. The individuals have been notified of their planned removal.

    “As a military veteran who swore an oath to defend our Constitution, and as a former federal prosecutor, I believe the integrity of our elections is fundamental to our democracy. I am appalled by the reckless failures that allowed this to happen and the lack of transparency shown by those in charge at the time,” Sherrill said in a statement.

    Sherrill, at a news conference Tuesday afternoon, said the investigation would determine which elections the noncitizens’ votes were cast in — and whether they included the 2025 gubernatorial race in New Jersey, which Sherrill won, or the 2024 presidential election, when the state went for Vice President Kamala Harris — but neither contest’s outcome would have been changed by these ballots cast.

    The glitch occurred when individuals were applying for driver’s licenses and identification cards in New Jersey. Although they answered “no” when asked on a keypad whether they were a U.S. citizen, “through no fault of their own, the system registered them anyway,” Sherrill’s office said.

    Trump last Thursday delivered a prime-time address in which he, amid conspiracy theories about his 2020 election loss, claimed the Department of Homeland Security had identified more than 250,000 noncitizens registered to vote across four Democratic-led states — New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, and Nevada — according to a document the White House posted online during Trump’s speech.

    DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin claimed Tuesday on X that more than 35,000 noncitizens could be registered in New Jersey. However, the department has not shared the methodology it used to arrive at that number, and experts have cautioned it could include new citizens who have not been updated in a system meant to check work eligibility.

    “Just ONE illegal vote cancels out the vote of a U.S. citizen,” Mullin said.

    He said he appreciated Sherrill’s announcement, but “this should’ve been done a LONG time ago.”

    Pennsylvania election officials have disputed DHS claims of noncitizen registrations, but the timing of the New Jersey disclosure is sure to fuel scrutiny of the four states.

    Sherrill said she learned of the error last Wednesday, the day before Trump’s address.

    White House, Republicans call for changes to voting laws

    Trump’s administration has been pushing states to hand over unredacted voter rolls and threatening legal consequences for election officials, but New Jersey and Pennsylvania have resisted, saying doing so could put voters’ personal information at risk.

    “As the Trump Administration tries to weaponize elections for political gain, I am ensuring we protect our elections. Let me be clear: Donald Trump has zero credibility on the issue of election integrity,” Sherrill said in her statement.

    The White House argued that the New Jersey disclosure helped make the case for the SAVE Act, which would require prospective voters to prove their citizenship in order to register to vote.

    “Democrats and their media allies have repeatedly said it is impossible for noncitizens to register to vote, let alone cast a ballot. Time and again, they have been proven wrong. As President Trump has said, there is nothing more important than the integrity of our elections,” said Abigail Jackson, a spokesperson for the White House.

    The legislation has stalled in the Senate, but the New Jersey announcement will likely renew a push for it ahead of the midterms.

    “This is why we must confirm citizenship before anyone registers. Only US citizens should vote in our elections,” U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick (R., Pa.) said on X in response to the Garden State’s news.

    The senator has yet to weigh in on Pennsylvania’s inclusion on the White House’s list.

    U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.) called the failure of the registration software “not acceptable.” But he said he trusts Sherrill and the state to solve the problem and criticized “those who will choose to weaponize this issue” as attempting to undermine confidence in elections.

    “I have full confidence in New Jersey’s ability to administer voter registration and elections accurately and securely, and to ensure every legal ballot is counted,” Booker said.

    U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, a South Jersey Democrat who criticized Trump’s speech last week, declined to comment.

    New Jersey Republicans called for a bipartisan investigation and chastised Democrats for dismissing the issue in the past.

    “We believe this issue is not isolated to this one-year time frame or a software glitch. The system and verification process must be improved in order to safeguard our elections,” said Christine Giordano Hanlon, chair of the New Jersey GOP. “The public also deserves to know why this was covered up and who was responsible for keeping this critical information from the public.”

    U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a South Jersey Republican facing a challenge from Cape May Mayor Zack Mullock this fall, said the state should end automatic registration through the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission and require proof of citizenship to register.

    “We have had extremely close elections in New Jersey, and God knows how many other ineligible voters may still be on the rolls or how many ballots have been cast without ever being identified,” Van Drew said in a statement. “It is unacceptable.”

    The National Voter Registration Act of 1993, commonly known as the motor voter law, requires states to enable people to register to vote through departments of motor vehicles when they are getting a driver’s license. Twenty-three states, including New Jersey and Pennsylvania, provide automatic voter registration through the DMV, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

    Micah Rasmussen, the director of the nonpartisan Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University in Mercer County, said the wrongful registrations were a small slice of the state’s 6.6 million voters.

    “It’s got to be dealt with,” he said. “The administration is dealing with it, but it’s also something well short of systemic.”

    He said that the DMV has long been a weak link in motor vehicle voter registration and that it is worth looking into replacing the vendor that runs the registration software.

    “On Election Day, when voters can go and argue and plead their case before a judge because they’re not registered and they thought that they were, invariably, it surprises nobody when DMV winds up being the problem,” he said.

    This is not the first time a state’s motor vehicle system has incorrectly registered noncitizens.

    Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt uncovered a similar glitch in 2017 while he was serving as a Philadelphia city commissioner, discovering that a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation error had allowed 168 noncitizens to register to vote in the city, and likely a couple of hundred statewide.

    The state’s voter rolls were updated in 2018, and Schmidt has emphasized that noncitizen voting remains incredibly rare.

    In a statement, Schmidt said Pennsylvania’s automatic voter registration system, which was implemented in 2023, permits only eligible applicants — American citizens — to register to vote.

    “AVR has allowed hundreds of thousands of eligible Pennsylvanians to register to vote while safeguarding the integrity of our voter rolls,” he said in the statement.

    Sherrill said that she is exploring options to rectify the problem, and that the vendor behind the error will be replaced. Individuals responsible for the error will be held accountable, she said.

    “We’re open to suggestions that make our elections more safe,” she said. “The investigation will have findings on what occurred. We will be looking carefully at what we can do to make sure it doesn’t occur again.”

  • A worker was hospitalized after suffering life-threatening injuries at EMR in Camden, shortly after a judge allowed it to reopen

    A worker was hospitalized after suffering life-threatening injuries at EMR in Camden, shortly after a judge allowed it to reopen

    A worker was sent to the hospital with life-threatening injuries on Saturday, just days after the EMR scrap metal recycling plant reopened in Camden, following a court ruling.

    The company had sued Camden after the city suspended its operations last month following the latest in a string of fires at the facility. Just under two weeks ago, a judge permitted the company to reopen with heightened safety precautions meant to prevent further fires. The company announced Monday of last week that it would begin activities on site that day and start full operations this past Friday.

    The next day, an employee working on behalf of EMR was sent to the hospital with “life-threatening injuries,” confirmed Dan Keashen, Camden County spokesperson.

    He said the Camden County Police Department is investigating the “industrial accident.”

    Emergency response units responded to a report of a male with injuries from an accident inside the EMR facility about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Keashen said.

    He said emergency medical services transported the man to Cooper Medical Center and, as of Tuesday, the worker was in critical but stable condition.

    Camden city spokesperson Vincent Basara confirmed that the Camden Fire Department and EMS were called to the EMR facility on Saturday regarding an injury in the workplace and a person was “taken to the hospital with significant injuries.”

    Representatives for EMR did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday. The company also faced an emergency across the river last week when a blaze broke out at an EMR facility in Darby, Delaware County, prompting air quality concerns.

  • Police are investigating an incident involving a person barricaded in a RV at the Burlington County Walmart

    Police are investigating an incident involving a person barricaded in a RV at the Burlington County Walmart

    Shoppers have been advised to avoid the Walmart on Route 38 in Lumberton as police investigate an incident involving a person barricaded inside a motorhome parked in the store’s parking lot.

    Lumberton Township Police were on scene Tuesday morning in response to the barricaded individual in the RV.

    “Officers are on scene, and precautionary measures have been implemented to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone in the area. We are working in coordination with the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and the New Jersey State Police,” the department said in a press release posted to social media Tuesday morning.

    “At this time, the incident is isolated to the Walmart parking lot, and there is no known danger to the general public,” the department said.

    The barricade began around 11 p.m. Monday, 6abc reported, but it is unclear how the police became aware of the incident.

    The department declined to provide any further details or answer any questions about the ongoing situation.

  • Tour Jersey’s islands on the Delaware | Inquirer South Jersey

    Good morning, South Jersey.

    Today, we invite you to take a virtual tour of the islands in or near New Jersey along the Delaware River.

    And Spencer’s, the South Jersey-headquartered novelty store, has plans for a future beyond a trip to the mall.

    Plus, the Freedom Fuel gas station network looks to expand despite rising prices, and more news of the day.

    — Taylor Allen (southjersey@inquirer.com)

    P.S. Our team is here to answer questions big and small about the region. Share them here and one of our reporters might pick it up for our Curious South Jersey initiative.

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

    Fly up the Delaware

    The Delaware River is home to about 123 islands as it simultaneously creates a border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

    Some are sandbars, others have acres of land, and a few aren’t technically islands anymore because they’ve been reattached to mainland by nature or human engineering.

    🏞 Chester and Monds Islands: New Jersey Audubon owns these two islands that have become a haven for birds. They’re off the coast of Gloucester County.

    🏞 Petty’s Island: Indigenous Lenni-Lenape people were the original inhabitants of this land right off Pennsauken. Its local lore includes stories about Blackbeard docking there and Benjamin Franklin spending a night.

    🏞 Amico Island: The Burlington County-owned park in Delran includes forests, a river shoreline, and meadows.

    Tour the rest of the islands on the Delaware River via our latest interactive.

    Spencer’s is still a ‘rite of passage’

    Mall culture and consumer behavior may have changed, but Spencer’s continues to thrive.

    The first brick-and-mortar store opened in 1963 at the Cherry Hill Mall. Since then, it has expanded and young adults have had a dedicated place to buy band T-shirts, lava lamps, and other trendy items.

    There are more than 650 Spencer’s stores across the United States and Canada, and the company’s CEO said revenue has grown 50% since 2019.

    Recently, the South Jersey-based novelty item retailer moved into a new spot at Cherry Hill with 1,000 more square feet of space.

    Reporter Sarah Nicell explains why Spencer’s continues to be a staple.

    What to know today

    • Freedom Fuel, the gas station chain promoted by President Donald Trump, says it has plans to expand but seems to no longer provide notably discounted prices. The currently operating 25 locations include West Berlin and Marlton.
    • A federal jury convicted an Easthampton Township man for having illicit conversations with who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl while he was serving as an Air Force captain, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazier said Monday.
    • U.S. Sen. Andy Kim will soon introduce MediKids, a universal healthcare plan that would cover every child in the country. It would be automatic at birth and cover young people until age 26.
    • New Jersey’s new e-bike rules are now in full effect, according to New Jersey Monitor. Under a law passed in January, riders must obtain a license, registration, and in some cases, insurance now that the grace period has ended.
    • The Camden-based company Holtec Nuclear Corp. is planning an IPO with an aim to increase the sales of its small nuclear plants and liquid batteries.
    • Legislators in South Jersey asked the Department of Transportation to examine Route 55’s design after 10 fatal crashes in the past four years along the Gloucester County portion, according to NJ.com.
    • A former Rite Aid in Clayton might become an AutoZone, 42 Freeway reports. A “zombie” Blackwood Rite Aid became a fitness center, and another will become the same in Cherry Hill.
    • According to health officials, New Jersey recorded 46 cases of cyclosporiasis between May 1 and July 16, a typical amount. It’s unclear if any of these incidents were a result of people eating Taylor Farm products, the produce company at the center the recent food safety investigation.
    • Camden is expected to see the state’s biggest home value surge of 4% by September, NJ.com reports.

    🗣️ Quote of the week

    Blake Zielinski is the latest South Jersey native drafted into the NHL. He will play for the Los Angeles Kings.

    🧠 Trivia time

    U.S. Andy Kim is the first U.S. senator from South Jersey since 1955. Where does he live now?

    A) Magnolia

    B) Woodbury

    C) Washington Township

    D) Moorestown

    Think you know? Check your answer.

    What we’re…

    🌲 Viewing: Our staff photographer Tom Gralish’s detours through the Pine Barrens Byway.

    📚 Choosing: My next beach read.

    🥊 Walking: By the Jersey Joe Walcott statue on the Camden waterfront.

    And that’s been the news to start your day. I’ll see you in your inbox 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.

  • South Jersey’s Spencer’s, armed with lava lamps and band tees, plans for a future beyond the mall

    South Jersey’s Spencer’s, armed with lava lamps and band tees, plans for a future beyond the mall

    Pink cheetah-print beer bongs. Fugglers. Studded belts. A fridge full of Red Bull. Band T-shirts and lava lamps galore.

    It’s hard to predict what you’ll spot when you round a corner at Spencer’s, or more specifically, what expletive, hit TV show, or meme will be featured on the next rolling tray. The novelty item retail chain recently moved into a new spot, 1,000 square feet bigger than its last one, in the JCPenney wing of the Cherry Hill Mall.

    In 1963, the South Jersey mall gave Spencer’s its first in-person retail store after 16 years as a mail-order catalog.

    Now, Spencer’s is one of Cherry Hill Mall’s last remaining early tenants, and though the gag gifts have changed over the years, the chain remains alive and well, even as mall culture and the ways people shop change across the country.

    The Cherry Hill location is one of hundreds of Spencer’s stores across the U.S. and Canada. While CEO Steven Silverstein declined to share how much Spencer’s made in 2025, he said the company’s revenue has grown 50% since 2019 and benefited from a spike in shopping interest post-pandemic.

    On a rainy Thursday afternoon in July, the store was mostly quiet. Eddie Frazier of North Philadelphia looked for a new T-shirt. One woman bought a lingerie set, and a grandmother stopped in to browse.

    Alex Williams of Mount Laurel said she and her friends have shopped at Spencer’s for years. Since she recently turned 21, Williams said she likes to hunt for novelty shot glasses. Last time she visited, she bought a mini Playboy-themed tumbler.

    “I just like how comfortable everybody is,” Williams said. “They don’t make you feel weird.”

    Alex Williams of Mt. Laurel shops at Spencer’s in the Cherry Hill Mall on July 9. She says she and her friends have shopped at the store for years. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Silverstein agrees. He has run the parent company of Spencer’s, which also owns Spirit Halloween, since 2003. Spencer’s Spirit Holdings is headquartered in Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County, a short drive away from the Shore, and has been since the ‘70s. It counts about 700 employees.

    “We’re a South Jersey-based company,” Silverstein said. “I say that with a lot of pride because I think that we belong here.”

    ‘A rite of passage’

    Max Spencer Adler, a U.S. Army Corps bombardier once imprisoned by Germany during World War II, founded Spencer Gifts in Atlantic County in 1947 with “$200 and an idea.”

    That idea, in alignment with the Spencer’s of today, was a bit outrageous. A catalog from 1956 featured “imitation shrunken heads” ($1, or 2 for $1.49 if you were seeking a deal) and a “magic stump remover” ($1.50), a powder that claims to quickly dissolve tree stumps of any size.

    Giant rubber feet and golf tees (spelled “tease”) in the shape of a woman’s body were also available.

    By 1963, the novelty business had bloomed. Adler sent about 14 million copies of the Spencer’s Christmas catalog across the country and opened his first retail store in Cherry Hill, store #001.

    A plaque in the Cherry Hill Mall marks the store as the very first Spencer’s retail shop, #001. Then called Spencer Gifts, it opened in 1963 in the then-brand-new mall. Now Spencer’s has moved to a bigger storefront.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Since then, Spencer’s physical presence has moved well beyond South Jersey, and teens and young adults have continued to shop for sparkly lava lamps, body jewelry, horror movie dolls, and whatever is trending at the moment. During the July visit, the store featured Dubai chocolate, blind boxes, and plushies from popular TV series.

    “It is a rite of passage,” Silverstein said. “You remember the first time when your mom said, ‘OK, you can go in there, but I’m not going in there with you.’”

    Today the chain has 661 stores across the U.S. and Canada, Silverstein said, a number not dramatically different from previous years. Spencer’s will open 20 stores this year and will likely close the same amount. Its most popular products tend to be its T-shirts, accessories, jewelry, and objects from the sex and wellness section.

    The Cherry Hill location gets about 100 customers on a regular weekday, but more people flood in on weekends and at night, said Danielle Voelkel, the district store manager. Voelkel, who has worked there for 11 years, said sometimes people are hesitant to enter.

    “You don’t always know what you’re coming into the store for, but at the end of the day, there’s something for everyone,” Voelkel said.

    Eddie Frazier of North Philadelphia shops at Spencer’s in the Cherry Hill Mall in early July.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    How Spencer’s survives

    While American mall culture isn’t dead, it has certainly changed, at least in the Philly region. The pandemic turned some malls into ghost towns, and the popularity of online shopping has grown immensely.

    “You could never invent Spencer’s today,” Silverstein said. “It’s just really been that tree that’s been pruned in so many different directions … but somehow works.”

    Spencer’s has found ways to keep moving forward, Silverstein said, by building up in malls that are thriving, such as the Cherry Hill Mall, and reevaluating its place in struggling markets. Spencer’s, like other retailers, has an online store for shoppers who can’t or won’t go in person.

    To stay embedded in the community, employees volunteer at the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, and the chain’s anti-cancer campaign, “Boobies Make Me Smile,” has raised $16.5 million since 2008, Silverstein said. In April, the chain launched a sex education tour to Temple University, Stockton University, and Rowan University. Stockton and Rowan students currently make up half the company’s interns.

    Items for sale at Spencer’s in the Cherry Hill Mall include Chucky dolls and a Stitch plushie from the “Lilo & Stitch” Disney movies. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Plus, Spencer’s is no longer just for mall rats.

    The chain recently expanded to strip malls and shopping centers, where Spencer’s can’t rely on the fleeting curiosity of mall walkers for revenue.

    “The power of our brand has to be strong enough to be its own destination. … Can we attract an intentional shopper?” Silverstein said.

    Spencer’s has discovered it can, at least right now.

    The chain has opened 50 non-mall locations, Silverstein said, though it’s unclear how they’re performing financially. There are no strip mall spots in Jersey so far, though Spencer’s intends to open a location at Consumer Square in Mays Landing, Silverstein said, about 10 minutes from its Atlantic County headquarters. And some outlets down the Shore already feature Spencer’s, including Jersey Shore Premium Outlets.

    Despite the move beyond malls, Silverstein said the rumors of mall death are greatly exaggerated. Mall culture will keep pushing Spencer’s forward, so long as the chain keeps coming up with original ideas, whether that’s alien-duck shot glasses or Pennywise lava lamps.

    “Retailing is like being a shark,” Silverstein said. “You constantly have to be moving or you die.”