A sergeant with the Salem County Sheriff’s Office has been charged in connection with the deaths of two K-9 dogs who were left for seven hours in an unattended hot patrol vehicle, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Cody Henderson, 41, was charged Tuesday with two counts of recklessly causing bodily injury to a living animal, and related offenses, including unnecessary cruelty to animals, Salem County Prosecutor Kristin J. Telsey said.
According to the complaint filed against Henderson, surveillance video showed the K-9 handler arriving to work on May 29 shortly before 8:30 a.m. in his county issued 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe with Rip, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, and Boomer, a 6-year-old springer spaniel.
Henderson did not return to the vehicle until just after 3:30 p.m. and found both dogs dead in his patrol vehicle, prosecutors said.
He then transported the two dogs to an animal hospital in Delaware, prosecutors said.
Later that evening, the sheriff’s office notified the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office about the K-9 deaths.
Necropsies conducted on both dogs determined that they likely died from heat stroke with no evidence of other causes, prosecutors said.
There was no evidence that a K-9 heat alarm “Hot-N-Pop” device in the vehicle malfunctioned, and that it was “presumably turned off on the above date,” the complaint said.
The “Hot-N-Pop” device lowers windows and triggers sirens and flashing lights if the interior of a vehicle is too hot.
Henderson could be reached for comment.
In a statement posted on social media, Salem County Sheriff Charles M. Miller wrote that Henderson had been charged in connection with the “deaths of his assigned canine partners.”
Rip and Boomer “exemplified the highest standards of service, loyalty, and dedication. Their contributions to public safety and their commitment to duty will not be forgotten. The loss of these loyal partners has had a profound impact on our agency, our law enforcement community, and the citizens they faithfully served,” Miller said.
“We continue to honor the memory and service of Rip and Boomer and extend our thoughts to all those affected by this tragic loss,” Miller said.
The EMR scrap metal recycling plant will reopen afterCamden suspended its operations following a late May fire, the latest in a string of fires in recent years.
The decision fell to Camden Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Polansky on Wednesday after the Camden City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday against a settlement that would have allowed EMR to reopen under certain safety precautions. EMR had sued Camden for suspending its junkyard license last month for the facility, where Camden officials say there have been more than a dozen fires in the last six years.
Shortly after the hearing,New JerseyGov. Mikie Sherrill’s office announced that she signed a bill into law aimed at increasingsafety in thescrap metal industry led by Assembly member Bill Moen, a Camden County Democrat. He introduced the bill after a four-alarm fire in February 2025 at EMR.
The court fight to open EMR
The judge said EMR can open its doors only if it follows a list of safety precautions. The company’s legal team told The Inquirer that it had already fulfilled those requirements and is ready to open as soon as the judge submits his order.
“We intend to open and operate in accordance with the judge’s order, which directly incorporates the recommendations of EMR’s third-party fire expert,” Joe Balzano, CEO of EMR USA, told The Inquirer after the hearing Wednesday. “EMR is the only scrap metal recycling facility in the state of New Jersey that has a facility-wide fire suppression system installed and operating.”
Among therequired precautions are a 24-7 fire watch, fire suppression system testing, and procedures for scanning material coming into the facility and responding to fires.
In court, EMR’s legal team argued that the city did not have the authority to suspend its license without proper hearing or notice, and that the company has undergone irreparable harm as a result. It has lost millions of dollars, endured tainted industry relationships, and, as of Wednesday morning, sent more than 300 layoff notices, said Kathleen Campbell, a lawyer for EMR.
The fire took place on May 29, at which point EMR voluntarily shut down its operations. The city issued an immediate suspension notice days later, on June 4. A big question in the courtroom was whether there was enough of an emergency at that point that the city could circumvent its normal due process.
“The city can regulate,” Campbell said in court. “What it can’t do is continue an emergency shutdown when there is no basis for it. The fire is over. The testing that this court authorized is complete.”
She argued that the city is more worried about a “desire to keep EMR closed” than an actual immediate danger.
William Tambussi, the city’s lawyer, argued that the possibility of another fire was enough to present an emergency.
Camden Fire Chief Jesse Flax talks with people during a community meeting for residents, affected by a 2025 fire at EMR, at MJD Fieldhouse Gym on Broadway in Camden on Sunday, February 23, 2025.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
“The city is required and has the right to protect its citizens from the harms that come,” he said in court.
Tambussi said after the hearing that the judge’s decision is still a win for the city because the safety precautions EMR has to follow overlap with what the city wants from the company.
“The judge found that the city rushed the process, which the city doesn’t apologize for,” he said in an interview.
Camden and EMR will meet again in court in August, where they will assess whether EMR has complied. The city can also attempt to shut down EMR through a full hearing process if it finds that the company has violated its terms of opening. The city cannot, however, just shut the company down.
A new law stemming from a Camden County legislator’s fight against EMR
The law Sherrill signed on Wednesday, which goes into effect in a year, will require heat detection equipment, publicly accessible fire safety plans developed with local fire officials, and compliance with certain fire prevention standards. It also requires fire suppression systems that can be remotely operated and limits the height allowed for piles of material.
The legislation is part of a four-bill package Moen has been pushing for in Trenton, but is the only one to make it to the governor’s desk before the summer recess.
“We were met at every step of the way with opposition from a well-funded industry,” Moen said in an interview Wednesday.
Balzano, the CEO of EMR USA, said in an interview Wednesday that he believes his Camden site is mostly in line with what the new law requires. But he said the height limit would be “very detrimental to the industry and probably to the environment,” arguing that it is too broad and applies to scrap metal that is not prone to fires. He said that could have “unintended consequences” by having scrap metal spread out across more space.
Moen emphasized that while the issue of scrap metal fires has become particularly important in Camden, it is not restricted to the city’s borders. Scrap metal sites in Vineland and Newark, for example, have also seen fires in recent years.
“This will be the first step in hopefully many of the state bringing greater transparency, accountability, and an expected level of responsibility for these scrap facilities,” Moen said.
New Jersey officials have given three public colleges $3.5 million in state funding to train aviation professionals, amid a national shortage of certified air traffic controllers that has led to mounting safety concerns and flight delays.
The state Office of the Secretary of Higher Education announced Tuesday that Kean University and Atlantic Cape Community College got $1.5 million each, and Warren County Community College received $500,000 under a grant program intended to grow New Jersey’s pipeline of aerospace professionals.
Those schools offer curricula aligned with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative, which gets graduates to on-the-job training faster by allowing them to bypass some standard FAA Academy requirements.
School administrators will use the money to expand aviation and aerospace programs.
Kean plans to create a new FAA-aligned bachelor of science degree in aviation management, expand its drone minor into a drone operations major, house a Center for the Study of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, create a similar center focused on drones at its Skylands campus, and partner with K-12 schools to develop a pre-college aviation and drone pipeline program, according to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.
Atlantic Cape Community College plans to expand its FAA-aligned curriculum, add advanced simulation training, and expand teaching staff. Warren County Community College plans to develop an air traffic control certificate program and add an airport management and operations course.
“By supporting institutions to build programs and enhance training opportunities that feed into FAA certification pathways, we are developing routes into well-paying, stable careers for residents who will serve New Jersey and the nation over the decades to come,” Acting Secretary of Higher Education Margo Chaly said in a statement.
The funding came from former Gov. Phil Murphy’s final budget and was distributed last month.
The Trump administration announced a plan last year to “supercharge” hiring to reduce a shortage of 3,000 air traffic controllers nationally. The move came after a deadly air crash in Washington, D.C., and chaos from coast to coast, including at Newark Liberty International Airport.
The number of applicants spiked, but the shortage persists due to an increase in flights, high workforce attrition, difficult and lengthy training requirements, and the lingering impact of pandemic and government shutdowns, the U.S. Government Accountability Office found in January.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill visited Camden on Tuesday to thank first responders the day after thunderstorms caused intense flooding — and to promote her fight against data centers.
Gov. Sherrill visited Camden a day after what local officials call the worst flooding they have ever seen in the city.
American Red Cross workers have been providing cleaning supplies, snacks, and water as residents navigate the aftermath. No injuries had been reported, but there were more than 1,000 calls to emergency services, and 14 people were rescued from the flooded streets.
Sherrill urged residents to report damage through the Office of Emergency Management so the state knows how much federal assistance to request.
She also thanked the first responders and touted her recently signed legislation aimed at data centers, which she said would help prevent strain on the power grid during future storms.
According to the federal government, 859,000 New Jersey residents are living in poverty, based on the latest statistics available.
But a new report from Poverty Research Institute of Legal Services of New Jersey (PRI), a legal aid nonprofit, says the figure is closer to three million.
People who live at or below the federal poverty line qualify for assistance such as SNAP, Medicaid, and school meals. The issue, according to experts, is that even people with incomes twice the poverty rate still need help when considering the actual costs of housing, childcare, food, and healthcare. It doesn’t help that New Jersey has the third-highest cost of living among states.
“Life’s a struggle,” said one Camden resident whose family makes just enough to be above the federal level. “I would say this feels below the poverty line.”
The number of meals that the Food Bank of South Jersey has distributed to Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Salem Counties has increased by more than a third over the last four years to compensate for rising food costs.
According to PRI, the following are the true poverty rates:
Because of the damage caused by Monday’s storms and subsequent flooding, the Nilsa I. Cruz-Perez Downtown Camden library branch will remain closed for the rest of the week.
The owner of Bunker Fitness Center in Blackwood converted a former Rite Aid into his current gym about a year ago. He is about to open a second location at another “zombie” Rite Aid in Cherry Hill.
This home comes with a two-car garage, a wide driveway, and a front porch.Resonate Media | Courtesy of Christopher Twardy/Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Fox & Roach Realtors
The spacious main level of the four-bedroom and 2.5-bath home includes a formal living room, a dining room, a powder room, a family room, and an office. The house was built in 2008 but the kitchen was upgraded in 2025 with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and breakfast bar seating.
All four bedrooms are upstairs. The primary suite has large closet space and a renovated en suite bath with a Jacuzzi tub.
A handful of new stores are expected to open in the Cherry Hill Mall in the coming months. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
The Cherry Hill Mall’s slate of stores continues to evolve, with new retailers planning to set up shop in the coming months.
Popular footwear brand Crocs opened a 2,000-square-foot space last month, DoneRight Doner Kebab is expected to open in the food court later this summer, and a massive Dick’s House of Sport is on track to debut this year.
They’ll be joined by several other concepts, including viral women’s clothing brand Aritzia.
The storms that started rolling in late Sunday resulted in widespread floodingon Monday throughout Camden County, where several inches of rain fell. Cherry Hill saw 3.44 inches, which resulted in flash flooding. (NJ.com)
Cherry Hill alum and three-time Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award-winning film and TV critic Bill Wine died last month at the age of 81 of complications from Parkinson’s disease. Raised in Philadelphia and Cherry Hill, where he graduated from the old Cherry Hill High School, Wine was a longtime film critic at WTXF-TV, Channel 29, and KYW radio and known for his pithy, witty, and acerbic reviews.
Heads up for drivers: Work continues on Kresson Road this week, which will have altered traffic patterns between Springdale Road and Ravenswoods Way from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. through tomorrow; a detour between Harrowgate Drive and Cropwell Road from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Friday; and altered traffic patterns between Marlkress Road and Browning Lane from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Friday. Ongoing work will result in a road closure on Kenilworth Avenue between Route 38 and Helena Avenue from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through Friday.
Cherry Hill resident and youth soccer coach Brian Epstein, 43, has been charged with lewdness and sexual contact after an April incident during which he allegedly exposed his genitals to two girls while scouting players at Brian Bende Park in Medford. (Courier Post)
Friends of Cherry Hill Public Library’s book sale continues today, when it’s open to all Friends members. The sale opens to the public tomorrow and continues through Saturday.
🍽️ On our Plate
Three former Cherry Hill staples are among the most iconic New Jersey restaurants to close too soon, according to a list from NJ.com. The outlet lamented the closing of beloved mall eatery The Bistro at Cherry Hill, which shuttered abruptly about a year ago amid bankruptcy proceedings. Other restaurants the outlet says are gone too soon? The Cherry Hill Diner, which has been demolished to make way for a car wash, and Latin Casino, which was torn down in 1982.
🎳 Things to Do
🎶 Twilight Music Series: Oklahoma R&B outfit Color Me Badd headlines this week’s event. ⏰ Thursday, July 9, 8-11 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Cooper River Park Jack Curtis Stadium
🃏 Cherry Hill Card Expo: Browse over 300 vendor tables featuring trading cards, memorabilia, art, and more. ⏰ Saturday, July 11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, July 12, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 💵 $10-$25 📍 DoubleTree by Hilton
🕹️ Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Tournament: Test your skills head-to-head. Advanced registration is required. ⏰ Saturday, July 11, 1-3 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Cherry Hill Public Library
💫 Music Under the Stars: Taylor Swift cover band Fearless will perform. There will also be food trucks and a beer garden. ⏰ Tuesday, July 14, 7 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Barclay Farmstead
The home combines brick and glass and has a number of patios.John McBay | Courtesy of Keren Niv/Real Broker
Located in the Voken Tract in Springdale, this five-bedroom contemporary is striking inside and out. It features a distinct architectural design that blends brick and glass. The home has a two-story living room, complete with numerous windows and a wood-burning fireplace, that opens onto a contemporary kitchen. Other features include a dining room, an office, and a family room. There are several patios outside, including one with a built-in kitchen, all overlooking a wooded lot with a private walking loop. There’s an open house Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m.
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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.
But the pharmacy chain’s distinct facade still dots the landscape — in suburban shopping centers, on the corners of congested intersections, sometimes even smack dab in the middle of city blocks.
Some of these buildings are still vacant, surrounded by overgrown grass and empty parking lots. Others are getting new life as dollar stores, medical clinics, daycares, Spirit Halloweens, and a Rally House sports retailer.
A former Rite Aid (left, rear) and former Wawa (right) sat empty in Collingswood in June. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
The 8,000- to 16,000-square-foot shells are ideal for only so many tenants, real estate experts have said, and it is not unusual for these kinds of properties to take several months or more to lease.
Here is a look at what’s happening at a few local zombie Rite Aids:
South Jersey Rite Aids are becoming fitness centers
A former Rite Aid in Blackwood, Camden County, has been a gym for more than a year, and its owners soon plan to open a second location at another old Rite Aid in Cherry Hill.
Nick Bennett, CEO of the Bunker Fitness Center, said the owner of the Blackwood Rite Aid building approached him after seeing the gym’s content on TikTok. At the time, Bennett said, the gym was outgrowing its 3,000-square-foot space in Franklinville, Gloucester County.
When he went to see the 13,000-square-foot former Rite Aid in Blackwood, he said, it had already been demolished inside.
“It was just wide open,” Bennett said. “That floor plan works for our business model because gyms are open. You don’t really need to put up walls.”
Steve Cristelli works out at the Bunker Fitness Center in Blackwood. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Another plus, he said: Pharmacies have rows of refrigerators, which require electrical outlets, and the Bunker crew could use those outlets to plug in workout equipment.
The old Rite Aid on Black Horse Pike needed “very little” work, just paint and rubber floors, Bennett said, and was easily transformed into the exercise and recovery space he had envisioned. The gym opened in 2025.
“We’re smashing it,” Bennett said, with thousands of members who pay between $49 and $59 a month for the 24/7 gym, which has cardio and strength machines, weights, a sauna, and a cold plunge. He declined to provide specific sales or membership figures for competitive reasons.
The Bunker Fitness Center operates inside a former Rite Aid in Blackwood.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
But Bennett said the business is doing so well that it is expanding into another former Rite Aid, 12 miles away in Cherry Hill with franchisee Jack Prendergast.
That 10,000-square-foot pharmacy shell at Brace and Kresson Roads closed more recently and needs a bit more work inside, Bennett said. When they signed the lease, he said, it “looked like a Rite Aid.”
Bennett said he and Prendergast are demolishing the interior, aiming for a September opening.
In Delco, a Rite Aid could become a township’s first car wash
The former Rite Aid in Newtown Square may get new life as a car wash.
The store at West Chester Pike and St. Alban’s Circle closed last year. In February El Car Wash, a Florida-based chain looking to expand into Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland, applied to open there, said Newtown Township Solicitor Rich Sokorai.
On its website, El Car Wash lists several other Philly-area locations as “coming soon,” including Cherry Hill, Drexel Hill, Feasterville, and Maple Shade.
The Newtown Square Rite Aid operated a drive-through, Sokorai said, and drive-throughs are permitted in that commercial zone. After a June meeting, the township zoning hearing board is considering whether to permit the car wash, with a decision expected in the coming weeks.
A Rite Aid with a “store closing” sign last summer.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
If approved, it would be the only car wash in Newtown Township, the solicitor said.
Residents of the neighborhood behind the old Rite Aid have expressed concerns to local officials, Sokorai said, “because they fear traffic.”
Others have said they are looking forward to a new business moving into the vacant space on a prime corner, Sokorai said. Even before the Rite Aid closed last summer, its shelves were often empty, the solicitor said, and “it was dying a slow death.”
Temple University buys another old Rite Aid
Temple “T” flags fly on North Broad Street.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Temple University recently bought a second former Rite Aid on North Broad Street.
The school recently closed on the old Rite Aid building on the 2100 block of North Broad for $9.25 million, according to spokesperson Stephen Orbanek. He said ArchWell Health, which operates a primary-care clinic for seniors there, will remain the tenant.
“This property’s location, directly across the street from James S. White Residence Hall, supports the priorities of our campus safety and physical environment plan,” Orbanek said.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to indicate that Temple Health plans to open neurology offices at the previously acquired Rite Aid building.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill climbed onto an emergency water vehicle in Camden on Tuesday with Camden Fire Chief Jesse Flax. That vehicle, called the High Water One, was used by local emergency responders on Monday to rescue 14 people from the flooded streets of Camden, Flax said.
The vehicle had arrived in the city one week earlier, just in time for what officials said was the worst flooding they had ever seen in the city, including from Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
“I’ve never seen this in my whole career,” said Flax, who has worked in the city for three decades. “I’ve seen bad fires, I’ve seen a lot of different things. But I’ve never seen it flood in this capacity.”
The new High Water Rescue vehicle that was used in the recent rainfall and flooding at the Fire Administration Building in Camden on Tuesday.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Sherrill thanked emergency responders and comforted Maria Perez, a Camden resident recovering from surgery who worked with her neighbors to fight the flooding by “telling them what to do and keeping them calm.”
“I wanted them to keep plastic bags on their feet, too, because you don’t know what’s in that water. … I’m so glad that we had such a great team,” Perez, a member of the Camden schools advisory board, said in an interview.
The governor’s visit came just a little more than an hour after she signed legislation in Salem County aimed at data centers. She saidthat very work can help prevent strain on the power grid during future storms and that the electrical grid is “top of mind” for her.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill, left, speaks with Maria Perez, center, and Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez, right, at the fire house in Camden on Tuesday.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
“We are seeing these extreme weather events more and more and more frequently,” said Sherrill, who was dealt a historic snowstorm just weeks into her term and has recently seen a deadly heat wave. After her stop in Camden, she went to a BJ’s Wholesale Club store in Monmouth County where a roof fell in from Monday’s flooding.
One of the bills Sherrill signed into law on Tuesday creates a new ratepayer class and ratestructure for data centers that is meant to ensure they pay for their own energy. Another creates more oversight for utility companies’ grid upgrades to try to save money.
“We’ve set them aside in a separate class of utility users, so that if we have storms like this, they will be first impacted, not normal rate payers,” Sherrill said.
Data centers have caused concern on both sides of the aisle in South Jersey, with towns including Medford taking steps to block their development locally. But according to county spokesperson Dan Keashen, Camden did not have widespread power outages during the storm, just a handful that were rectified the same day.
Oscar Parra makes his way to his car in the flooded parking lot at the Ferry Avenue PATCO station in Camden on Monday amid a flash flood threat for the region.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
So what about the damage in Camden?
Sherrill said residents should report damage through the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management so the state can calculate how much federal assistance to request.
“There are technical things we need to meet,” she said. “I think we probably will, but we’re collecting that now.”
American Red Cross workers in Camden on Tuesday were providing cleaning supplies like mops, bleach cleaners, gloves, and tarps — as well as snacks and water, said Diane Concannon, the organization’s communications director for the New Jersey region.
“Flooding is horrible for any family … because everyone wants to be able to save everything,” she said.
While the rain was intense, it cleared up quickly because the city has maintained its sewers so well, Sherrill said.
“They have done a really good job here in Camden with some of these resiliency efforts,” she said. “It’s why this wasn’t worse.”
Philadelphia-area drivers can now fill up their tanks with less-expensive gasoline promoted by President Donald Trump’s administration, but details on the entire enterprise remain scarce.
The White House on Tuesday announced the opening of the first Freedom Fuel gas station in Upper Dublin Township, at a former Sunoco station.
In the undated video, drivers happily filled their tanks for $3.47 a gallon, which the White House said was to honor “our 47th President.” That’s cheaper than the least-expensive gas at nearby stations, according to prices posted by GasBuddy.
The Freedom Fuel station in Dresher is near a McDonald’s and across the street from a shopping plaza. But what sets it apart from other nearby gas stations is the assortment of American flags planted across its footprint — and the cheaper gas.
While a nearby Citgo station, about five minutes away, prices regular gas at $3.79 a gallon, and a Gulf offers it at $3.85, Freedom Fuel offers it at $3.47 a gallon.
For many patrons stopping by Tuesday afternoon, the branding was new — and secondary to savings.
The Freedom Fuel Network gas station at 1400 Dreshertown Road in Dresher.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Jessiah Brice, 25, said the Freedom Fuel station was convenient because it is near her job. She had noticed the new branding after the July Fourth holiday and had no idea what it was about, but she welcomed the idea regardless of the affiliation with Trump.
“Gas should be cheaper,” she said. “My only issue is: How is it $3.47 here and $5 by me?”
Another gas buyer, who declined to give her name out of privacy concerns, said she had heard of Trump’s efforts to bring cheaper gas to people but had not connected it to her local gas station.
“What’s not to love?” said another patron, before driving away with a full tank.
Seyer Hamidi, 36, stumbled upon the station after picking up his car, which he likes to fill up with premium gas, from the mechanic. He, too, welcomed the idea.
“Gas is going to be high whether you’re a Republican or Democrat,” the Republican said, noting the cheaper gas was a step in the right direction.
A lot remains unclear, including the names of the participating businesses and how they are able to sell gasoline cheaper than nearby competitors.
A White House spokesperson confirmed that a website for the Freedom Fuel Network, which showed 25 locations across the Philadelphia region and South Jersey, was accurate. The White House did not confirm that all 25 locations are open and did not provide information about the company.
The list includes stations in Elmwood Park, Bustleton, and Hunting Park, but it was unclear if every location on the Freedom Fuel website was open.
A White House spokesperson said the Freedom Fuel Network was a private company and not a government program, adding that the company was not purchasing gasoline at a discount and that the administration has not provided funding. The spokesperson said the business was simply making gas more affordable for drivers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey but did not elaborate.
The company behind the Freedom Fuel Network did not respond to a request for comment.
The fuel pumps at the Freedom Fuel Network gas station at 1400 Dreshertown Road in Dresher.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Beyond that, not much information was available beyond the White House social media post and a statement made by Trump, who wrote on his Truth Social account last week that a “very smart retailer” located throughout the Northeast was “stepping up” to offer a discount at the pump.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, crunched the numbers and said there was no profitable way for Freedom Fuel stations to sell gas so cheaply.
“Stations selling at this price, it’s not sustainable,” De Haan said. “Generally, when losses happen, somebody’s got to pay for it.”
De Haan had no insight on who owns the stations or what deals they might have made to purchase gas, but did confirm many of the stations exist in GasBuddy’s database, though the names were “vastly different.”
Gas prices have been dropping in recent weeks after peaking in May. Prices soared after the United States attacked Iran and the Strait of Hormuz — a key shipping lane — was shut down.
The average cost of a gallon of gas in Philadelphia on Tuesday was $3.95, according to AAA. That was up nearly 20% from this time last year, when the cost of a gallon of gas averaged $3.31.
Another Sprouts Farmers Market is coming soon to South Jersey.
The Sprouts in Washington Township is set to open Aug. 28, the company announced Tuesday in a statement.
The 23,000-square-foot organic grocery store is under construction on Egg Harbor Road in Sewell, with an attached 6,400-square-foot storefront for lease, according to marketing materials for the new development.
Sprouts plans to bring on about 90 full- and part-time employees, with hiring events scheduled next week for Tuesday and Wednesday at the Double Tree by Hilton in Cherry Hill.
This Sprouts in South Philadelphia opened in 2018.STAFF / GRACE DICKINSON
The Washington Township location will be the Phoenix-based chain’s fourth in South Jersey. The grocer, which specializes in organic, gluten-free, and plant-based products, also has stores in Haddon Township, Marlton, and West Deptford.
Across the river, the company operates four Philadelphia locations, including Roosevelt Mall in the Northeast and the new Rivermark complex in Northern Liberties, as well as two Montgomery County stores in Upper Dublin and Montgomeryville.
Frontier Airlines has begun new nonstop daily service between Philadelphia International Airport and Detroit, taking over a route formerly operated by discount carrier Spirit Airlines.
The service began Sunday, the airline said, adding that it is offering a special introductory one-way fare of $79 between the two cities.
“We are pleased to grow our service at PHL, ensuring low-cost travel options remain available for consumers,” Josh Flyr, vice president of network and operations design at Frontier, said in a statement.
The airline is touting othernew products, including UpFront Plus seating, an option with extra leg and elbow room in the first two rows of the aircraft, the airline said. UpFront Plus customers are guaranteed an empty middle seat.
Frontier carried about 3.1 million passengers into and out of PHL during 2025, ranking second after American, the airport’s dominant carrier, with over 20 million passengers last year.
It operates primarily from 17 gates in Terminal E.
The promotional $79 tickets must be bought before 11:59 p.m. July 12. They apply to select nonstop flights for travel between Aug. 3 and Sept. 2, according to Frontier.
Spirit Airlines had been in chapter 11 bankruptcy and was seeking a $500 million federal bailout to keep going. No deal was reached, so it closed and liquidated its fleet of planes. Spirit had high debt and was struggling under the weight of rising costs, especially of fuel.
