Walk into Cigar Alley @ The News Nook in Merchantville and the aroma of fine tobacco hits you first. But it is the clipped staccato of the store’s New Jersey Lottery machine that is a constant. Customers are just as apt to buy scratch-off tickets as they are cigars. “We’re selling a lot of tickets,” said Rachelle Aljobeh, owner of the shop, who’s quick to declare hers is one of the first original machines in the area. http://on.cpsj.com/Zm9XXv
State plans to uproot the Children's Garden
In a letter sent last week, the New Jersey Department of Treasury ordered Children's Garden director Michael Devlin to remove all property, including the facility's amusement rides, gazebo, and giant dinosaur, by March 31. The nonprofit Camden Children's Garden has two months to vacate most of its state-owned property before the land is transferred to the Adventure Aquarium next door. An online petition and Facebook page have been started to "Save the Garden".
Nor'easter headed this way
A coastal storm, known as a nor'easter, is poised to bring yet more high winds, rain, coastal flooding, even snow to parts of the Northeast. On Wednesday the storm spreads northward from Delaware and northern Maryland to southern and northern New England and the Hudson Valley. Occasional gusts 35-50 mph Wednesday and Wednesday night, diminishing Thursday.
At least three killed as storm pounds N.J.
A curfew between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. is now in effect in all municipalities in Atlantic County, with the exception of Atlantic City, according to the Ventnor police department. At a news conference Saturday night, Vincent Maione, president of Atlantic City Electric, said he hoped that a "majority" of 160,000 customers without power would have it restored by Wednesday evening but "quite a few" won't have power until the end of the week. http://bit.ly/ML5mcG
Dancer proposes more savings
Assemblyman Ronald S. Dancer has recently proposed expanding and extending New Jersey’s online purchasing program that has become a successful revenue tool for local governments and property taxpayers. According to the Department of Community Affairs’ Division of Local Government Services: Merchantville received $7,500 for an old fire pumper truck sold on E-Bay after a traditional auction received a bid of just $1,200 – below the trade-in value. The increased revenue helped reduce the property tax rate. http://bit.ly/TJeSB2
Christie's temper flares again on the boardwalk
Gov. Christie got into a verbal smackdown on Thursday with a man who reportedly made snide remarks about his education policies. A video posted on the TMZ website shows Christie gripping a vanilla ice cream cone as he strides down the Seaside Heights boardwalk while joining a battle of words. "You're a real big shot! You're a real big shot shooting your mouth off!" Christie yells at the man. "Just take care of the teachers," the man responds. He might as well have kicked sand in the governor's face. http://bit.ly/LaQGUG
Interactive Map: NJ Per-Pupil Spending
The typical NJ school spent $16,600 in 2010-2011. Most districts spent less per pupil in 2010-11 than in 2009-10, in part because of tough state-imposed spending caps and aid, according to data from the 2010-11 New Jersey School Report Card issued earlier this month by the state Department of Education. The map ranks K-12 or K-8 districts by total overall spending. By clicking on a municipality, the data for its primary school district is available. Interactive Map