Category: ANNOUNCEMENTS

NJ American Water Presents Grant to Oaklyn Fire Department

 New Jersey American Water presented Oaklyn Fire Department in Oaklyn, N.J., with a $2,461.20 grant as part of the company’s 2026 Volunteer Fire and EMS Grant Program, which awarded about $50,000 to 21 volunteer fire and EMS departments across its service areas. The department will use the funding to purchase 15 Lion Red Zone Particulate Hoods, one case of Safety Suds Bunker Gear Detergent, and two Amerex 2.5-gallon Pressurized Water Extinguishers, helping enhance firefighter personal protection, equipment maintenance, and emergency response capabilities.

“Local first responders understand which tools and resources will have the greatest impact in the communities they serve,” said Kim Schalek Downes, Vice President of Business Development, Government and External Affairs. “Through this program, we’re proud to help departments make those important investments year after year.”

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Rail Freight Assistance Program 

Funds will improve the existing freight system to promote economic activity

(Trenton) – The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced the grant application period for the Fiscal Year 2027 Rail Freight Assistance Program (RFAP) is open with applications being accepted from now through October 9, 2026.

The Rail Freight Assistance Program provides $25 million annually to help support economic activity by preserving and improving the existing freight transportation system and by making freight rail service more widely available for businesses throughout the state. Rail freight improvements support the state’s clean energy, congestion mitigation, and sustainable development goals.

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180-Foot Fishing Vessel Added to Artificial Reef

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has once again expanded Delaware’s renowned artificial reef system, creating more marine habitat by sinking the Calcasieu Pass, an offshore oilfield supply vessel turned menhaden processing ship, onto Reef Site 13 following environmental remediation and approval. Also known as the Del-Jersey-Land Reef, the site is the centerpiece of the reef system – with its offshore location equidistant from ports in the three states that make up its name.

The Calcasieu Pass, 180 feet long with a 40-foot beam, will provide valuable habitat for aquatic life, along with angling and diving opportunities for outdoor recreationalists. Originally built in 1982 as an offshore supply vessel, later joining the East Coast menhaden fleet, the ship’s final repurposing is expected to buoy both economic and environmental opportunity for Delaware.

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Bishop William Barber Announces National Voter Mobilization Tour

Nationally renowned civil rights leader and Repairers of the Breach President Bishop William J. Barber II today announced a multi-state speaking tour in support of his 100 Days; 1,000 Marches to the Polls voter mobilization initiative organized by Repairers of the Breach and the Moral Monday Public Pulpit.  

The tour, announced at a news conference with a diverse coalition of faith leaders and activists, begins this week with events in Kentucky, New Jersey and Georgia where he will give a national sermon at Atlanta’s historic Big Bethel AME Church laying out how low wage and Black voters are the true swing vote in the South and that turning out the vote is the key to the people owning their power. From there, the tour will continue across the South and in battleground states leading up to Election Day, November 3, 2026. 

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Final Rule for Bluefin Tuna, Atlantic Swordfish, and Northern Albacore Quotas

NOAA Fisheries announces a final rule for North Atlantic swordfish, South Atlantic swordfish, northern albacore tuna, and bluefin tuna annual quotas.

The final rule:

  • Maintains existing baseline quotas for North Atlantic swordfish, South Atlantic swordfish, and northern albacore tunas
  • Implements the management procedure for North Atlantic swordfish consistent with recent recommendations adopted by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)
  • Increases the baseline annual U.S. bluefin tuna quota from 1,316.14 metric tons (mt) whole weight (ww) to 1,509.98 mt ww, the level adopted by ICCAT for 2026-2028
    • Increases the bluefin tuna domestic fishing category quotas according to the established regulatory percentages
    • Increases the pelagic longline bycatch set-aside quota from 25 mt ww to 62.5 mt ww
  • Allocates the pelagic longline bycatch set-aside quota to Individual Bluefin Quota (IBQ) shareholders with IBQ shares designated for the Atlantic region
  • Updates the analyses of all swordfish and tuna quotas and consider changes to quotas that could occur in future years consistent with the management procedures
  • Reiterates the existing process for annual quota adjustments based on international quota transfers, underharvests, and/or overharvests.

A full description of the quotas for these stocks can be found in the Implementation Plan.

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New Jersey Fire Departments Receive Grant

New Jersey Fire Departments Receive $10,000 Grant Through the State Farm® Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program

 The program, in collaboration with the National Volunteer Fire Council, provided a total of $1.5 million to 150 volunteer fire departments nationwide

Four volunteer fire departments in New Jersey were among 150 nationwide recipients of a $10,000 grant through the State Farm® Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program. The program, in collaboration with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), helps local fire departments purchase needed equipment to enhance responder safety and better protect their communities.

Eighty-two percent of U.S. fire departments are comprised entirely or mostly of volunteer firefighters. Many of these departments operate on limited budgets that leave them struggling to fund equipment that enables them to more effectively and safely do their jobs. Recognizing this need, State Farm and the NVFC teamed up to provide $1.5 million to local fire departments in 2026. Since the program began in 2024, a total of $4 million has been distributed to support volunteer fire departments with their equipment needs.

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Virtua First in Region to Offer Two Breast Cancer Surgery Advances

 Virtua Health is the first in the South Jersey region to offer two new advancements in breast cancer surgery designed to improve patients’ lives both physically and emotionally.  

For many facing breast cancer, mastectomy—complete removal of the breast tissue—is the recommended treatment approach. Two new surgical techniques now aim to provide patients with significantly improved cosmetic outcomes, less painful recovery, and better quality of life after surgery.

The procedures are a new type of minimally invasive mastectomy and an innovative technique that has the potential to restore sensation. Virtua is the first to provide the new endoscopic mastectomy procedure in both the Philadelphia region and South Jersey. Additionally, Virtua isthe first in South Jersey to offer the sensation-restoring procedure.

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Rabid Skunk Confirmed in Cherry Hill

The Camden County Department of Health and Human Services has been notified by the New Jersey Department of Health that a skunk found in Cherry Hill has tested positive for rabies.

On August 14, a Cherry Hill resident’s dog got into an altercation with a skunk in their backyard. The Animal Control Officer (ACO) for Cherry Hill picked up the skunk and arranged for rabies testing at the state Public Health & Environmental Laboratories in Trenton (PHEL). On August 19, the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services was notified by PHEL that the skunk was rabid. There were no known human exposures to this skunk.

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Winslow Township Family Day is Coming Up on August 22nd

Family Day

Enjoy a summer afternoon at New Brooklyn Park for Winslow Township Family Day. Features local vendors, activities, and community fun for all ages. 

Backpack giveaway (while supplies last – stop by the mayor’s tent) and free medical screenings. 

  • When: Sat, Aug 22 | 2 PM – 7 PM
  • Location: 123 New Brooklyn Erial Rd, Sicklerville, NJ

Camden County concert at 6pm featuring Let’s Groove Tonight: Earth Wind & Fire Tribute Band

Big-Money Fishing Tournaments Make a Splash on Florida’s Coast

As the first hint of cooler temperatures emerges on Florida’s Historic Coast, the marinas and waterways of St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra become a proving ground for anglers chasing trophy fish, bragging rights and serious prize money. This fall’s lineup of fishing tournaments and events includes daily winner-take-all payouts reaching $75,000, drawing competitive and recreational anglers to the region during the traditionally quieter fall travel season.

There’s a reason serious anglers hold space on their calendars for Florida’s fishing tournaments. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) calls Florida the “Fishing Capital of the World,” with more world-record fish catches than any other state or country. Recreational saltwater fishing generates an estimated $9.2 billion in economic impact statewide. Pair that with the Historic Coast’s history, natural beauty and first-class lodging and amenities—which helped generate more than $2.4 billion in visitor spending in St. Johns County in 2023—and the region offers anglers plenty of reasons to stay beyond weigh-in.

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