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Category: South Jersey

  • 🚧 Route 70 is almost done | Inquirer South Jersey

    🚧 Route 70 is almost done | Inquirer South Jersey

    Good morning, South Jersey.

    After five years and more than $155 million, the construction work on Route 70 is almost finished.

    And a Washington Township coffee shop is experiencing a boost in business after Ms. Rachel gave it a shout-out on Threads.

    Plus, Gov. Mikie Sherrill is calling on Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell to resign after an investigation found Caldwell sexually harassed women, and more news of the day.

    — Taylor Allen (southjersey@inquirer.com)

    P.S. Thank you for your continuing support. We want your opinions of this newsletter. Share your thoughts by taking our survey.

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

    Five years and $155 million later …

    Drivers, we have some good news.

    The New Jersey Department of Transportation told The Inquirer that the construction along Route 70 that stretches from Pennsauken to Marlton will “essentially be complete this year.”

    I know what you’re thinking: Really? It’s been five years.

    Now the only work left, NJDOT said, is a few new traffic signals which are expected to be up in October, followed by some re-striping and paving.

    The Inquirer’s Lacey Latch has more details on the status of the project.

    The Ms. Rachel effect

    Ever since YouTube star Ms. Rachel shouted out Blended Joe Coffee Bar in a social media post, the shop is seeing an influx of new customers.

    Some drove from far outside the region to try the shop in Washington Township, included one couple from Virginia.

    The shop stands out with its choice to make coffee drinks made from flavored beans rather than pump syrups.

    Read on for the full story on why Ms. Rachel decided to highlight the South Jersey coffee roaster.

    What to know today

    🧠 Trivia time

    Danny DeVito is from New Jersey, but what town?

    A) Bordentown

    B) Stratford

    C) Asbury Park

    D) Atlantic City

    Think you know? Check your answer.

    What we’re …

    🍕 Craving: A grandma pie from Genova Pizza 2 Go in Williamstown.

    đŸ‡ș🇾 Reminiscing on: The spirited — and often strange — things America did for its 250th birthday.

    🎃 Planning: A trip to go pumpkin picking at Springdale Farms in Cherry Hill.

    📾 Photo of the week

    RiverLink Ferry Freedom Ferry crew members watch the fireworks at Wiggins Park in Camden.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    TGIF. Enjoy your weekend, and I’ll see you on Monday.☀

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

  • Nor’easter is likely to cause significant flooding at the Shore, and winds may gust to 60 mph

    Nor’easter is likely to cause significant flooding at the Shore, and winds may gust to 60 mph

    With moderate flooding already has been reported at the Jersey Shore, along with wind gusts to 50 mph, the beach towns were left to wonder Friday what may happen when the extraordinary early-season nor’easter gets closer.

    And forecasters were warning that the storm almost certainly would overstay its welcome.

    “It could be slow to pull out,” said Lee Robertson, a lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Mount Holly. “We really may not be out of the woods until Monday.”

    In a major shift, strong winds and signifcant rains were expected during the weekend all the way to Philadelphia, where winds could gust to 45 mph.

    Updated computer-model runs were favoring a storm track closer to the coast than previously anticipated, said Bill Deger, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather Inc., which would increase both the flooding and the wind potential. Beaches already have endured a long-duration assault of onshore winds, he added.

    “Our beach is going to suffer,” Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. said at a Thursday afternoon briefing. “We’re going to see a lot of beach erosion.”

    The more westward track also would increase the potential for weekend rainfall throughout the region during a time typically busy with hayrides, corn mazes, and other autumn activities, Deger said. “Mother Nature looks like it isn’t going to cooperate very much,” he said.

    He said the nor’easter could even become a “bomb cyclone,” a term for an especially intense storm.

    Potentially road-closing moderate flooding was forecast Friday into Saturday for the Jersey Shore. If the storm tracks further west, some places could see “major flooding,” said the weather service’s Robertson.

    A flood warning was in effect for the Jersey Shore towns until 2 a.m. Saturday, and flood advisories along the Delaware River until 4 a.m. Friday.

    Chances were excellent both would be extended. The storm, which was gaining strength off the Southeast coast Thursday afternoon, could take its good old time as it travels northward, which would increase the duration of flooding and the strongest winds.

    In addition, a high-wind watch was in effect at the Shore from 6 p.m. Friday into Saturday afternoon, with gusts that could reach 60 mph.

    Expected timing of the storm impacts

    Very much subject to change, the government’s National Ocean Service predicted oceanfront high tides at Atlantic City at or near moderate flood levels at 7 p.m. Friday and at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday.

    Warning that what was anticipated was more than “nuisance flooding,” Small said the critical periods in Atlantic City would be a few hours before and after the high tides.

    In the back bay areas that are a chronic source of flooding in Ocean City, tides are forecast to hit moderate levels at 8 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Monday.

    At moderate levels, some roads become impassable, and building damage is possible, the weather service said.

    In Philly, minor flooding was forecast along the Delaware River for at least five consecutive high-tide cycles, which occur roughly every 12 hours, starting at 1 a.m. Friday.

    In Atlantic City, Small said he expected the streets to fill with up to a foot of water.

    Scott Adams, the city’s emergency chief, said the duration of the winds and waves were prime concerns. “It’s not a one-two punch,” he said.

    Just how much rain the storm would generate in the region was uncertain. The rains likely would reach the Shore late Friday and the immediate Philly area sometime Saturday afternoon, Deger said.

    The winds were likely to peak Friday afternoon into the evening; however, that would depend on the career of the storm.

    The beaches should get a break Saturday as the winds become more northerly than onshore, Deger said, which would at least slow the erosion, but the strong winds likely would continue.

    Isn’t this early for a nor’easter?

    Coastal storms of this magnitude typically occur later in the fall and winter, as colder air from the north country interacts with the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. Storms form on frontal boundaries of warm and cold air.

    In this case, a major player is an area of higher pressure, or heavier air, centered over eastern Canada that has been exporting cold air southward. That has kept temperatures several degrees below normal in Philly this week.

    It is working in tandem with the storm, providing the necessary cold air to contrast with the warm waters. In addition, winds circulate clockwise around centers of low pressure, so it also was generating winds from the northeast, which is why they are called nor’easters.

    Meanwhile, the intensifying storm also was generating winds from the northeast; winds circulate counterclockwise around centers of cyclones.

    The high may be as impressive as the storm, said Steve Decker, atmospheric science professor at Rutgers University. In data dating to 1979, it might be the strongest high over Quebec on record.

    He noted that while a nor’easter did develop in mid-September last year, “it was quite weak.” All indications are that this one won’t be.

    Incidentally, this was to be the last weekend of open swimming in Atlantic City, but if you were hoping to take a dip, better wait until Memorial Day.

    Small announced the beach would be closed, and all the equipment has been moved out of harm’s way.

    Besides, the water might be a little rough.

  • Route 70 roadwork is almost finished in South Jersey after 5 years and $155M

    Route 70 roadwork is almost finished in South Jersey after 5 years and $155M

    The construction along Route 70 that drivers have begrudgingly become accustomed to since 2021 will “essentially be complete this year,” according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

    Only a handful of new traffic signals and some final paving work are left on the to-do list for the $155.1 million safety improvement project that essentially rebuilt a roughly 9-mile stretch of the highway.

    In addition to repaving the road from Route 38 in Pennsauken to Cooper Avenue in Marlton, the work included new gas and water mains, traffic signal upgrades at 27 intersections, sidewalk and drainage improvements, and more.

    “The investment NJDOT is making will help improve travel times, relieve congestion, and increase safety on this key roadway through Camden County, and these improvements are expected to benefit more than motorists,” said NJDOT spokesperson Steve Schapiro told the Inquirer this week.

    “Reconstructed sidewalks and concrete curbs will mean improved safety for pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable roadways users,” he said. “Updated utilities, improved drainage and replaced culverts will ensure resiliency along the corridor and help to mitigate inclement weather events that may cause flooding.”

    Over the next month, the final six traffic signals will be installed along the highway after “several utility-related delays” previously held up the work, Schapiro said.

    The signal work is expected to be completed in October, he said, and will be followed by re-striping and paving in two remaining work zones.

    First, the agency aims to finish repaving Route 70 between the Grove Street/Haddonfield Road intersection and Route 38 this fall, weather permitting, Schapiro said.

    The final unfinished section of highway stretching from Route 295 to Cropwell Road, will be repaved this fall “where necessary, with final paving scheduled for next spring,” he said.

    NJDOT is also working with Camden County on additional landscaping work to be conducted in the spring, he said.

  • Ms. Rachel’s shout-out to a South Jersey coffee shop boosts business: ‘What are the chances?’

    Ms. Rachel’s shout-out to a South Jersey coffee shop boosts business: ‘What are the chances?’

    A Washington Township coffee shop is seeing longer lines after YouTube star Ms. Rachel gave it a shout-out on social media.

    Blended Joe Coffee Bar, a South Jersey coffee roaster, has had an influx of customers after Rachel Anne Accurso, the online educator and songwriter, chose the business to feature for National Black Business Month.

    On Aug. 11, Ms. Rachel asked Black business owners to share the names of their businesses under her post on Threads.

    Eric Powell took a chance.

    A part-owner of Blended Joe, a 13-year Air Force veteran, and a father of four, Powell commented when he spotted the post a few weeks later. He promoted the coffee shop and an app he created, HEARTBEAT, which reminds users to reach out to the people they care about.

    It only took two days for Ms. Rachel to shout out Powell and the coffee bar in a post that included its address at 421 Hurffville-Cross Keys Rd. and has been viewed over 81,000 times. Powell’s phone was dead when it happened, but his coworkers broke the news the next morning. He immediately called Joe Iaconelli, the founding owner of Blended Joe.

    “I called Joe,” Powell said, remembering he told him: “‘I think we need to beef up [our staff] this weekend.’” The shop, which opened in 2018, has 15 employees.

    Powell was one of only a few business owners to get a shout-out from Ms. Rachel.

    She has since made a follow-up post telling people to follow the Camden native on Instagram, which has garnered 90,000 views. He gained 5,000 Instagram followers, including Ms. Rachel herself.

    Powell’s sons, who range from 10 to 18, have been teasing him about his newfound fame, but Powell said he knows they think it’s cool.

    “My oldest son is laughing at me the whole time,” Powell said, adding a joke by his son. “’Bro, you’re not gonna be single for long now.’”

    The Gloucester County coffee shop has seen a boost in customers since the promotion. One couple drove all the way from Virginia, Iaconelli said, and others have come from at least an hour away.

    Blended Joe, which sells coffee drinks made with flavored beans rather than pump syrups, moved to Washington Township from Mantua in March 2025. It’s one of several jobs for Powell, who also has a laser-engraving business and writes children’s books.

    Powell said he hopes the posts by Ms. Rachel inspire other fathers and up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

    “What are the chances of Ms. Rachel seeing a small coffee shop in South Jersey? It got her attention,” Powell said. “My message would be to keep trying.”

    And it’s not the first celebrity encounter for Blended Joe, Iaconelli said.

    Blended Joe ships coffee to Delatron Johnson, the mother of former Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, for her own coffee shop, Cafe Krewe Breakfast Bar, in Rockledge, Fla.

  • A Dunkin’ operator wants to repurpose a Mount Laurel bank building

    A Dunkin’ operator wants to repurpose a Mount Laurel bank building

    In the ubiquity race in South Jersey, Dunkin’ seems to be edging out Wawa. Banks used to be a leading competitor in that race, but with the growth of online banking, they’re disappearing to other development.

    A Dunkin’ operator in Mount Laurel is proposing to repurpose a former Wells Fargo Bank at 4523 Church Rd., east of the North Maple Avenue intersection, into one of the chain’s coffee and doughnut restaurants.

    Applicant Siya Kinjal LLC is scheduled to appear at an Oct. 7 zoning board of adjustment meeting for a use variance and preliminary and final site plan approval. The bank property is zoned residential.

    The Dunkin’ is projected to add 130 in and 120 out vehicle trips in the morning peak hour and 109 in and 114 out in the Saturday peak hour, according to a developer’s traffic study by McDonough & Rea Associates Inc. of Manasquan.

    The 2,999-square-foot Dunkin’ would include a drive-through lane. The property abuts single-family homes on Camelot Court and a gas station, according to a report by board engineer Richard A. Alaimo Associates of Mount Holly.

    The property would be purchased by the developer from 4523 Church Road Associates LLC of Saw Mile Drive in Mount Laurel, according to the zoning application.

    Gulu Puri of Marlton and Ashwin Chaudhary of Pittsgrove filed with the board as owners of Siya Kinjal LLC.

    70and73.com is a hyperlocal news site focused on South Jersey, including the communities of Cherry Hill, Evesham, Mount Laurel, Voorhees, Medford, Medford Lakes, and Moorestown.

  • A food truck with a mission | Inquirer South Jersey

    A food truck with a mission | Inquirer South Jersey

    Good morning, South Jersey.

    There’s a new food truck popping up at local parks. Completely staffed by people with disabilities, the mobile eatery that is part of an occupational training program serves classic American staples like burgers and fries while providing hands-on work experience

    And a former South Jersey Transportation Authority commissioner who was accused by a New Jersey grand jury of retaliation against a political adversary entered a guilty plea deal Wednesday.

    Plus, U.S. Rep Frank Pallone asked for a briefing with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over measles-associated deaths omitted from public tracking, and more news of the day.

    — Taylor Allen (southjersey@inquirer.com)

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

    Not your average food truck

    The Three Little Birds Cafe offers classics such as smash burgers, fries, and chicken tenders.

    It also offers hands-on job training and serves as a stepping stone to gain employment.

    The food truck is staffed with people with disabilities and run by The Arc of Camden County, a nonprofit.

    The mobile eatery was launched last summer to provide participants the skills and confidence needed to eventually be able to work in a restaurant.

    Reporter Lacey Latch provides an inside look into the program.

    A former SJTA official’s plea deal

    đŸŽ€ Let me pass the mic to politics reporter Aliya Schneider.

    A former South Jersey Transportation Authority commissioner and Philadelphia union leader accused by a New Jersey grand jury of using public office to retaliate against a political foe entered a guilty plea deal Wednesday that will likely keep him out of prison.

    The grand jury last year indicted Bryan Bush and Christopher Milam, a current SJTA commissioner and former vice chair, on six counts of conspiracy, official misconduct, and perjury.

    Prosecutors accused the two Gloucester County men of conspiring in 2023 to deny payment to a contractor who had allegedly fallen out of favor with George E. Norcross III, a Democratic South Jersey powerbroker, and with lying to a grand jury about their reasons for rejecting payments. — Aliya Schneider

    Read on for the full story.

    What to know today

    • New Jersey’s Rep. Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the U.S House Committee overseeing health care, said Wednesday he’s waiting on the CDC director to respond to his request for a briefing on the decision to omit deaths from the agency’s measles data dashboard.
    • There are now multiple incidents in South Jersey of a group of people targeting unlocked cars while on camera in Gloucester City, Cherry Hill, and Mount Laurel, NBC10 reports.
    • The latest Cherry Hill school district statistics show that more than 1,500 students are chronically absent. School leaders are looking to drive down the rate.
    • The New Jersey Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal in the latest legal fight over the control of the Cherry Hill Democratic Committee, 70and73 reports.
    • Cherry Hill will use $240,000 of its funds from the national opioid settlement to support a licensed mental health clinician working in district schools over two years, according to 70and73.
    • Modwash, the car wash chain, is facing nearly $450,000 in penalties from the U.S. Department of Labor for exposing its employees to safety hazards at its Sicklerville locations, NJ.com reports.

    đŸ—“ïž The best things to do this week

    🎃 The Great Pumpkin Glow: Opening for spooky season on Friday, the Halloween event will feature thousands of glowing jack-o’-lanterns. Walk through the pathway, take festive pictures, and indulge in some treats. ⏰ Friday, Sept. 25-Saturday, Oct. 31, various evening times đŸ’” $22.95-$27.95 📍 Dalton Farms, Swedesboro

    💧 Delaware River Festival: The annual festival is back to offer pedal boat and ferry rides, a live bird show, face painting, crafts, games, fishing, and more. ⏰ Saturday, Sept. 26, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. đŸ’” Pay as you go 📍 Wiggins Park, Camden and Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia

    đŸ©° Ballet in the Park: Watch performances of excerpts from Swan Lake to La Esmeralda, as well as more-contemporary works. Bring your own chair or blanket. ⏰ Saturday, Sept. 26, 3 p.m. đŸ’” Free 📍 Croft Farm, Cherry Hill

    See more event listings here.

    🧠 Trivia time

    Steven Spielberg filmed multiple scenes of Disclosure Day in South Jersey. Which of these places is not one of the locations where he was shooting?

    A) Upper Township

    B) Woodbine

    C) Tuckahoe

    D) Stratford

    Think you know? Check your answer.

    What we’re …

    📚 Perusing: Second Time Books in Mount Laurel.

    ☕ Grabbing: An espresso blend from Revolution Coffee Roasters in Collingswood.

    đŸ„„ Trying: Watermelon coconut ice.

    That should get you started for the day. I’ll catch you tomorrow. đŸ‘‹đŸœ

    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.

  • Popular food truck from a Camden County nonprofit provides job training for people with disabilities

    Popular food truck from a Camden County nonprofit provides job training for people with disabilities

    When the Three Little Birds Cafe is mixed in among other vendors at local parks and festivals, it might be hard to tell at first that it’s not your average food truck.

    Staffed entirely by people with disabilities, the food truck not only serves handmade American classics — think chicken tenders, smash burgers, and fries — but also embodies the values of the Arc of Camden County.

    For nearly 80 years, the Berlin Borough nonprofit has been supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

    Today, the Arc provides services ranging from adult day programs to residential care with round-the-clock supervision for hundreds of people across South Jersey, said Michelle Schwarz, a finance specialist with the Arc of Camden County who handles the food truck’s licensing.

    And while the food truck is a great place to grab some hand-breaded chicken wings for lunch, it also serves as a stepping stone for individuals hoping to eventually gain meaningful employment in the community.

    Launched in the summer of 2025 as part of the organization’s occupational training program, the food truck offers hands-on work experience in food service, allowing people to develop the skills and confidence they need to succeed in a restaurant or commercial kitchen, Schwarz said.

    The best way to connect people with jobs where they will thrive is to approach each person as an individual, she said, understanding that where one person may excel, another may struggle.

    The Three Little Birds Cafe food truck serves as a rolling advertisement for the Arc of Camden County, a local nonprofit that provides services for individuals with disabilities.Courtesy of The Arc of Camden County

    “We believe everyone has different skills,” she said. “Just because somebody can’t use their legs and they’re in a wheelchair, that doesn’t mean that they can’t go and work for a hotel and fold towels and put pillows in pillowcases.”

    By providing training in various industries, including janitorial services and product assembly, the Arc has been able to connect countless people with jobs, she said.

    The food truck was initially envisioned to serve primarily as a mobile advertisement for the organization, she said, with a QR code linking to the Arc’s website on the back to educate the public on its mission and potentially boost donations.

    But it has been so popular — both in the community and within the nonprofit — the Three Little Birds Cafe has expanded into the cafeteria at the Arc’s occupational training center in Berlin.

    Launching as a food truck in 2025, Three Little Birds Cafe has since expanded into the kitchen of the Arc of Camden County’s occupational training center in Berlin Borough, N.J.Courtesy of The Arc of Camden County

    Under the expert guidance of kitchen and food truck manager Dana Bradley, individuals have not only learned how to keep a restaurant running smoothly, but also started to learn to cook for themselves.

    “You immediately saw a shift in their confidence,” Schwarz said. “They were so excited to come in and learn something.”

    After spending a couple of years as a group home manager with the organization, Bradley saw Three Little Birds as a way to tap into the passion for cooking that she developed working at Corinne’s Place, her mother’s award-winning soul food restaurant in Camden.

    “I just love to cook,” Bradley said. Before she officially took over the cafeteria in 2025, she would often make elaborate meals at the Arc with whatever she could find lying around.

    Now in charge of the Arc’s large commissary-style kitchen, Bradley is helping train people to work in kitchens across the region.

    So far, three people have moved on from the Arc to work in restaurants and commercial kitchens in Camden and Gloucester Counties, Schwarz said.

    “Here, we just really believe that everyone has abilities, and we focus on their abilities rather than their disabilities,” she said.

  • Former South Jersey transit official enters plea deal in political revenge case

    Former South Jersey transit official enters plea deal in political revenge case

    A former South Jersey Transportation Authority commissioner and Philadelphia union leader accused by a New Jersey grand jury of using public office to retaliate against a political foe entered a guilty plea deal Wednesday that will likely keep him out of prison.

    The grand jury last year indicted Bryan Bush and Christopher Milam, a current SJTA commissioner and former vice chair, on six counts of conspiracy, official misconduct, and perjury.

    Prosecutors accused the two Gloucester County men of conspiring in 2023 to deny payment to a contractor that had allegedly fallen out of favor with George E. Norcross III, a Democratic South Jersey powerbroker, and with lying to a grand jury about their reasons for rejecting payments.

    They were first charged in 2024, just days before Norcross was indicted on charges of racketeering in a case that has since been dropped. (Norcross recently filed a defamation lawsuit against The Inquirer.)

    Bush, who was represented by Robert Agre of Agre & St. John in Haddonfield, pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction in the fourth degree — and agreed not to hold public employment. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the remaining charges and recommended probation. He agreed to comply with conditions in a Sept. 17 letter from the state, which prosecutors did not make available on Wednesday.

    Milam, whose term as commissioner officially ended earlier this year, rejected prosecutors’ offer. His attorney, Charles Fiore of Charles Fiore Law Offices in Williamstown, is seeking Pretrial Intervention (PTI), a program that can help first-time offenders get charges dropped by “gaining skills to straighten out personal problems in order to avoid future arrests,” according to the New Jersey Courts website. He appeared in court remotely on Zoom.

    Obstructing the administration of law has a maximum sentence of 18 months in state prison, Judge Donna Taylor said in court. Taylor rejected a motion to dismiss the case in early July.

    In court, Bush admitted withholding information from prosecutors that would have helped the investigation into the nonpayment of money to T&M Associates, a Middletown, N.J.-based engineering firm, for its contract with the SJTA.

    Bush told The Inquirer he will keep his job as the business manager of Sheet Metal Workers Local 19, an influential union in Philadelphia.

    “I’m just trusting my attorney’s judgment on all of this,” Bush told The Inquirer on his way out of the courtroom at Atlantic County Criminal Court on Wednesday.

    Dan Prochilo, a spokesperson for Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, who inherited the case from former Attorney General Matthew Platkin, said Wednesday that the office “is committed to investigating and fighting for accountability in any case where public officials abuse their positions of public trust.”

    Davenport did not pursue Platkin’s case against Norcross, declining to appeal a court ruling that dismissed it.

    ‘Political suicide’

    Milam’s lawyer argued that the case centers on Norcross — though he is not a defendant — and that prosecutors used it to strengthen their separate case against him, according to court documents. He noted that the power broker was mentioned 50 times during the grand jury presentation.

    When asked to comment on Bush’s plea, Dan Fee, a spokesperson for Norcross, criticized the former attorney general. Platkin, he said, “tried to pin something on George that just wasn’t true.”

    According to court documents, John Cimino, head of T&M Associates, got on Norcross’ bad side after endorsing a different candidate than Norcross directed in a Democratic primary for Mercer County executive. Norcross subsequently said Cimino committed “political suicide” and was off his “Christmas card list,” according to the documents.

    Norcross’ firm dropped T&M as a client and his longtime political consultant resigned from T&M, according to the documents. Milam and Bush entered the picture because, as SJTA commissioners, they voted against payments for work done by T&M for the agency at three separate meetings.

    Detectives discovered texts from Milam to Bush saying he planned to vote against T&M because “they cut South Jersey in Mercer County,” and Bush said he would vote no, too. The commissioners eventually approved the invoices after they were directed to do so by SJTA Director Stephen Dougherty, according to the court record.

    Milam’s term technically expired in May, but he remains a commissioner until Gov. Mikie Sherrill makes an appointment, SJTA spokesperson David Zappariello said. He declined to comment on the case.

    The SJTA oversees the Atlantic City Expressway and Atlantic City International Airport. It also works on transit efforts across South Jersey, such as the new South Jersey Connects bus system.

    Bush’s sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 10.

  • N.J. Supreme Court refuses to hear appeal in Cherry Hill Democratic Committee battle over control

    N.J. Supreme Court refuses to hear appeal in Cherry Hill Democratic Committee battle over control

    Efforts by Democrats led by George E. Norcross III to unseat a dissident faction from control of the Cherry Hill Democratic Committee will not be considered by New Jersey’s highest court.

    The New Jersey Supreme Court on Sept. 16 denied a petition for certification filed by the Camden County Democratic Committee and committee chairman and State Sen. James Beach that would have challenged a state appellate court decision in April that allowed the South Jersey Progressive Democrats to name members of the committee.

    Three Cherry Hill residents who are members of the South Jersey Progressive Democrats won the June 2025 primary, defeating the Norcross group, which ran with names for all 74 seats on the ballot. Voters voted once, either for the progressives or the Norcross group.

    After their loss, the Camden County Democrats sued, challenging the progressives’ right to fill the 71 vacancies with members other than those who were listed in the losing group on the ballot.

    Voters elected the progressives over the Norcross group by a vote of 5,547 to 3,350, or 62% of the votes cast.

    At stake is control of the powerful Democratic Party in Cherry Hill, including candidate selection and choosing citizens to fill elected offices when they become open between elections. The Cherry Hill unit is also the largest single faction on the 522-member Camden County committee, which has even more power.

    “Having read the appeals panel decision, I had complete confidence that the New Jersey Supreme Court would deny certification in our case, ending the Camden County Democratic Committee’s colossal waste of donors’ money attempting to overturn the will of Cherry Hill voters,” one of the three winners, Rena Margulis, said in an email on Wednesday. The other two winners were David Stahl and Susan Druckenbrod.

    Margulis said that as of early September, the group has 47 Cherry Hill Democratic Committee members. She said Cherry Hill residents are being recruited to run in the Democratic primary next June.

    A call to Camden County Democratic Party headquarters for comment on the decision was not returned.

    70and73.com is a hyperlocal news site focused on South Jersey, including the communities of Cherry Hill, Evesham, Mount Laurel, Voorhees, Medford, Medford Lakes, and Moorestown.

  • About 1,500 Cherry Hill students are chronically absent from school. School leaders are trying to fix that.

    About 1,500 Cherry Hill students are chronically absent from school. School leaders are trying to fix that.

    The Cherry Hill school district says it is moving to drive down its chronic absenteeism rate by working with students who have been consistently absent over the last three years.

    District statistics from 2023-24 through 2025-26 showed just over 1,500 students make up the group that is absent for 10% or more of the school days in a year.

    The district hopes to lower the rate by working closely with chronically absent students and their families, and giving the students a sense of belonging to motivate them to be a part of the school, said Scott Goldthorp, the district’s director of special projects and student services.

    “While attendance isn’t working, ultimately attendance itself isn’t the ultimate outcome we’re looking for,” Goldthorp told the Cherry Hill Board of Education. “The larger goal is making sure students are connected to school, they have consistent access to supports, and that we’re able to connect them with opportunities and those supports that we do provide.”

    Students can be chronically absent due to a number of factors including health, transportation, family circumstances, academic challenges, student engagement, and life transitions, Goldthorp’s presentation noted.

    The Cherry Hill districtwide chronic absenteeism rate has consistently been lower than the state average, according to the New Jersey Department of Education’s School Performance Reports. In 2024-25, the most recent year with state-reported data available, the rate was 14% compared with the state average of 14.4%.

    However, several grades showed rates higher than the state averages.

    Although grade-level absenteeism data were not shared at the meeting, state data for 2024-25 showed chronic absenteeism rates for the sixth, seventh, eighth, and 12th grades in Cherry Hill exceeded the state averages.

    The highest absenteeism rate that year was 25.8% for 12th graders, followed by 23.5% for pre-K. The state averages were 21% and 29.9% respectively.

    Goldthorp emphasized the district’s approach to curbing absenteeism is not a “one-size-fits-all” solution.

    “Sometimes attendance is an academic issue, sometimes it’s a family issue, sometimes it’s a health or transportation issue, and sometimes it’s about a student’s connection to school,” he said. “Our response, then, has to be both systematic and individualized.”

    The New Jersey Department of Education limits what it defines as excused absences, according to the district presentation. Illnesses or physician appointments are not excused. However, religious observances, college visits, and “Take Our Children to Work Day” are among the excused absence reasons.

    Nine Cherry Hill schools lowered their chronic absenteeism rates between the 2023-24 and 2025-26 school years, according to the district data. Two remained relatively stable and six increased.

    Improving were Knight, Harte, Mann, Johnson, Sharp, Kingston, and Woodcrest elementary schools and Beck and Carusi middle schools. Increasing absenteeism rates were at Cooper, Kilmer, and Paine elementary schools, Rosa International Middle School, and both East and West high schools. Barton and Stockton rates were stable.

    Administrators are studying schools that cut their absenteeism rates to replicate the successes elsewhere, the presentation said. In one elementary school, the principal worked with district leaders to reengage chronically absent students and their families. Tangible rewards every week kept the students motivated and their attendance improved, according to the presentation.

    Absenteeism affects academic performance, the presentation noted.

    About 21% of students in middle and high school who were not chronically absent in 2025-26 had at least one failing course. That percentage is more than double (44%) for the chronically absent students in Cherry Hill.

    While about 19% of all students who were not chronically absent were involved with a disciplinary event, about 33% of chronically absent were exposed to discipline, according to the presentation.

    “When those students feel they belong, they’re motivated and want to be a part of school,” Goldthorp said. “When students are here consistently, they have access to high-quality instruction, support 
 and that ultimately is student success, which is why we’re all here.”