Category: CONSUMER NEWS

UCR Metrics for the City of Camden Released

(Camden City , NJ) – The Camden County Police Department finished 2019 with reductions in part one categories of violent crime. This amounts to an aggregate 3 percent drop over 2019 for violent crime accounting for 1,161 incidents. In addition, this represents a 42 percent decrease compared to 2012 UCR numbers for violent crime.

The numbers also represent a historic drop in total UCR crime – both violent and nonviolent – going back to the late 1960s. Last year, the city logged 3,305 total crimes compared to 10,724, during the first year we have on record for UCR data, 1974, representing a 69 percent reduction.

Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. talked about the improvements to the quality of life in the city and the commitment to community policing that has spearheaded much of the changes.

“This was another year of tangible progress by the men and women in the Camden County Police Department. It’s because of them that we have seen the transformation throughout the city and it’s been their commitment and dedication to the community that has bridged the divide that existed with residents,” Cappelli said. “When we started this endeavor, Camden had significant challenges. Now, we have decreased murders to a level that has not been seen since the mid-80s and reduced total crime to levels we haven’t seen since the 1960s.”

Throughout last year, several changes took place in the department from the promotion of a new chief to the adoption of a new use of force guideline that was nationally recognized. In addition, the department installed a new virtual training mechanism for de-escalation and continued a strategy grounded in the tenets of community policing, mutual respect and the preservation of life.

Mayor Frank Moran talked about the overall improvements to the city that the department has made for children and families.

“Public safety remains a priority here in Camden,” Moran said. “As elected officials, we have an obligation to make sure our community is safe.  Through collaboration and thanks to the dedicated effort of the Camden County Police Department, Camden is safer than it has been in decades. As Mayor and a lifelong resident, there is a noticeable change as the quality of life has continued to improve citywide.  Whether it’s reductions in crime, increased economic growth or improved educational outcomes, Camden is realizing sustained progress.”

Since the county police department was stood up more than six years ago, the city has experienced unprecedented private and public investment, more than $2.5 billion, from new corporate campuses, academic buildings and park construction. Furthermore, according to the U.S. Census Bureau the poverty rate has decreased by 14 percent since 2013, the job rate growth led the nation in 2017 and the high school dropout rate has been cut in half since 2013. Furthermore, Rutgers-Camden has ushered in its largest student body ever, unemployment is at a 30-year low and more than $53 million is being invested into the city’s infrastructure this fiscal year.

After 50 years of disinvestment and disenfranchisement, starting in 1967 with the closing of the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden has been incrementally moving forward and becoming a beacon of hope and change for the region.

“This agency continues to provide the guardianship our community needs to feel safe when they go to the park or the corner store. This organization’s foundation is centered on engagement and dialogue with residents and we will be continuing that work in 2020,” Chief Joseph Wysocki said. “I want to thank our partners in the community, from the school district to civic leaders, who are working with us to make Camden a safer place. I also want to thank the officers working the beat who are the backbone of this agency.”

Cappelli also talked about the importance of partnerships with other law enforcement agencies in reducing crime in Camden.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, Camden County Sheriff’s Department, New Jersey State Police and all of our federal law enforcement partners for the roles they played last year,” Cappelli continued. “We are looking forward to building on 2019 and working with them to maintain and continue the progress into the new year.”

source Camden County

New Audit: Problems with Pennsylvania Voter System

HARRISBURG, PA–An audit of the state’s voter registration system uncovered “potentially bad data and sloppy record-keeping,” but stopped short of saying the results revealed any inappropriate voting.

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale’s examination of the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors (SURE) found what he said were more than 50,000 cases with potentially inaccurate voter records. While he called the estimate conservative, the review “did not validate the thousands of cases/situations identified.”

DePasquale, who is running for Congress, noted a lack of cooperation by PennDOT and four county election offices in compiling his audit. He also said the Department of State denied his office access to potentially relevant documents.

“It is past time to improve this system,” DePasquale said.

“Some county election officials are busy replacing voting equipment ahead of next year’s presidential election,” DePasquale said. “But keeping voter registration records up-to-date is an equally important task. And as we all know, the next year’s presidential election may be one of the most historic elections and one of the most closely watched elections in not only Pennsylvania but in U.S. history. The closeness of Pennsylvania in 2016 means that every single record is important.”

The state created SURE more than 15 years ago, and the system holds the records of more than 8.5 million registered voters. The audit covered Jan. 1, 2016, through April 16 of this year.

DePasquale’s office handed down 50 recommendations he says will strengthen the Department of State’s policies and management controls. The auditor wants the Department of State to work with counties to resolve records management issues, including duplicate voter records.

Of the 50,000 cases with potentially inaccurate voter records, in 24,408 cases, the same driver’s license number was listed in more than one voter record, while 13,913 were potential duplicate cases. Furthermore, 6,876 had a possible date of birth (DOB) inaccuracy, while 2,230 had potential DOB or registration date inaccuracies and 2,991 were records of potentially deceased voters.

As part of the audit, DePasquale selected 196 voters from the more than 8.5 million registered and requested source documents to verify the accuracy of data within SURE. The team was able to test 58 records and confirmed those were accurate.

However, the team was “unable to form any conclusions as to the accuracy of the entire population of voter records maintained in SURE since we could not test 138 or 70 percent of the records we sampled due to source documentation not being made available,” they said in the audit.

DePasquale said his audit did not suggest inaccuracies in votes cast during the 2016 presidential election or that deceased voters or people living illegally in the country had voted. The Department of State did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment, but

told WESA

the findings were “flawed and misleading.”

published here with permission of The Center Square

South Jersey Eye Physicians: Glaucoma Patients May Help Preserve EyeSight by Changing Lifestyle

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of vision loss, affecting about 3 million people in the United States.Because there are no symptoms early on, about half of people with the disease don’t know they have it. Once vision is lost to glaucoma, it can’t be regained.

During Glaucoma Awareness Month in January, South Jersey Eye Physicians joins the

American Academy of Ophthalmology

in reminding the public that early detection and treatment, and some lifestyle choices can help protect your sight.

Glaucoma damages the optic nerve, which transmits visual information from the retina to the brain. Typically, the disease progresses slowly, gradually destroying peripheral vision. Because people are unaware of early peripheral vision loss, a patient can lose most of it before they even know they have glaucoma.

That’s why the Academy recommends that everyone have a

comprehensive

eye exam at age 40. This exam provides ophthalmologists – physicians who specialize in medical and surgical eye care – an opportunity to carefully examine the eye including the optic nerve for signs of damage and other possible problems that may affect vision. Individuals at greater risk for developing glaucoma include people:

over age 40;

of African, Asian or Hispanic heritage;

who have

high eye pressure

detected during an eye exam;

who are

farsighted

or

nearsighted

;

who have experienced eye trauma or eye injury;

whose

corneas

are thin in the center;

or who have health problems such as

diabetes

,

migraines

,

high blood pressure

or poor blood circulation.

Appropriate treatment for glaucoma depends on the specific type and severity of the disease. Medicated

eye drops

or laser treatments are the most common initial approach. These techniques work by lowering eye pressure to reduce the amount of

fluid in the eye

, and by increasing fluid outflow from the eye.

Beyond drugs and surgery, several recent studies suggest that lifestyle choices may also help minimize the risk of losing vision to glaucoma.

Exercise regularly.

A

study

just published in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, showed that people who engaged in physical activity can slow vision loss from glaucoma.

Meditate.

A new

study

published last month in the

Journal Glaucoma

showed that a relaxation program with meditation can lower eye pressure in glaucoma patients and improve their quality of life by lowering stress hormones like cortisol.

Don’t use CBD as a “natural” glaucoma remedy.

CBD, or cannabidiol, is the non-psychotropic component of cannabis and hemp being touted as a magical cure-all. A

study

published last month in

Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science

shows it actually raised eye pressure in mice.

Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, especially green, leafy ones

. One study showed that people who ate more leafy vegetables have a 20 to 30 percent lower risk of developing glaucoma. Why? Nitrates in green vegetables can be converted to nitric oxide, which can improve blood flow and help regulate pressure inside the eye.

Don’t smoke

. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of glaucoma and has an overall negative impact on eye health.

Maintain a healthy body weight

. People with a higher body mass index (BMI) are at increased risk for diabetes, and having diabetes puts people at risk of glaucoma. Having a too low BMI is also associated with increased glaucoma risk.

“Patients are often surprised when their ophthalmologist tells them they have glaucoma because they don’t have symptoms,” said Dianna Seldomridge, M.D., a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “That’s why it’s so important to have your eyes examined regularly; to detect the signs of disease you don’t see. The good news is that today’s innovative treatments and surgical techniques are better than ever.”

source

Home

How to Design Your Shop to Boost Sales

(Gloucestercitynews.net((January 6, 2020)–Enticing customers into your shop is a vital part of becoming a successful business. After all, you need people to buy your products for you to continue trading. Your customers can also be your biggest cheerleaders because, depending on their experience with your brand, they may well recommend you to other people they know. This, of course, means more sales for you.

However, your customers’ experience will also include what your shop is like. You might sell the exact product they’re looking for, but your store may not be a pleasant place for them to be in. That could mean a sale you lose to a competitor. So if you don’t want that to happen to you, then have a think about some of these tips on how you can boost sales by improving your premises.

Think of Your Threshold

Your threshold area

will be the first place your prospective customers go when entering your store: it will be their initial experience of what you have to offer. It’s also at this point that customers will make judgements such as how cheap or expensive your store may be, and how well coordinated items such as your displays, fixtures and colors are. Customers are also more likely to miss products, carts or signs you place here, because they’re in the transition mode from high street to store.

What Path Will They Take?

Of all the consumers in North America, 90% of them will unconsciously turn right when they enter a store. So pay attention to the ‘power wall’ — the first wall they see — as this will give a high-impact first impression of your merchandise.

Then create a clear path for your customers through your store. This is so they get maximum exposure to your products, which can increase the chances of a purchase being made. A well thought-out path can also control the flow of traffic.

Your tills should then be at a natural stopping point that you’ve purposefully designed. So if your customers turn right when they enter, then the front left may be the ideal location. However, this will depend on the size and layout of your store.

Be a Curator

Carefully editing your merchandise

is a way to escape from the number of choices available to your customers. So treating each product you have as an exhibit is a way to make your space feel more like a gallery.

Curated retail means you can have focused shopping and product relevance. Your customers are then also shown the products that are most important to them. Curation puts customers in the center of the retail process, with their preferences highlighted as being important with an uncomplicated, yet compelling shopping experience.

By using

retail design

, you can also make the experience fun. Humans crave entertainment and intrigue, so using items such as touchscreens and other retail technologies can turn your space into a playground, while also providing personalization and competing with online competitors.

Attention Camden County Residents! Caregivers Support Group Meetings

Branching Out to Caregivers is a caregiver support group that provides resources and health caregiving. Join us on January 21st from 11 AM to 12 PM at the Bellmawr Branch of the Camden County Library System to learn about caregiver stress, legal concerns, respite programs, adult medical day centers, Alzheimer’s and dementia education and much more. This event is presented by the Camden County Board of Freeholders, Department of Health & Human Services Division of Senior & Disabled Services and ADRC.

Please RSVP by calling (856) 374-2582 or emailing

erin.small@camdencounty.com

.

Camden County Library – Bellmawr Branch

35 E Browning Road, Bellmawr, NJ, 08031, United States

Tuesday, Jan 21st, 2020 @ 11:00 am

–

12:00 pm

People Like Pennsylvania But…..

By Steve Bittenbender |

The Center Square

The number of Americans on the move might have reached a 65-year-low in 2019, but Census Bureau data shows Pennsylvania ranked among the top states for both attracting and losing residents.

A recent report

by STORAGECafé, which bills itself as a storage rental marketplace, reports that Pennsylvania is the 10th most popular destination for people moving from another

state. In 2018, the state attracted 253,000 newcomers.

Pennsylvania attracted more residents from New Jersey than anywhere else. The site reported that 44,000 people crossed the Delaware River to make the Keystone State their new home.

Yet, the report, which uses Census Bureau data, indicates only six states lost more residents. Pennsylvania saw 240,832 move out, with 17,000 moving next door to Ohio.

Part of the reason why so many may be making those moves is due to the fact they’re inexpensive. Moving the possessions from a two-bedroom home in New Jersey to Pennsylvania cost, on average, about $2,400. That was the least expensive interstate move.

Pennsylvanians moving to Ohio paid average moving costs of about $2,500. Nearly 10,000 people moved from Pennsylvania to Delaware, at an average cost of up to $3,700 per move.

STORAGECafé worked with United Van Lines in determining the moving costs and did not factor packing or insurance.

Earlier this year, the Pew Charitable Trusts

released a study

about the migration patterns for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s largest city. The study noted that about 60,000 residents leave the city annually, roughly 10,000 more than it attracts.

Of those who left the region, the main reason for moving elsewhere was because of job opportunities. Pew research indicated that 44 percent moved away for work; the next highest response – moving closer to friends and family – garnered just 11 percent of respondents.

Pew said since it was the first time such a study had been conducted, it was uncertain if these issues are lingering ones within the city.

“What is clear is that there is not one overarching reason for relocating,” the Pew report states. “Most of those who left Philadelphia characterized themselves not as fleeing the city but, rather, as seeking new opportunities elsewhere.”

The Census Bureau reported that 31.4 million Americans moved in 2019. That’s the lowest total since 1954, and the percentage of Americans who moved, just 9.8 was an all-time low since the bureau began tracking residential moves in 1947.

Of those who moved, about 4.6 million moved to a new state.

published here with permission of The Center Square

Former Jersey City Official Charged with Stealing JCETP Funds

NEWARK, N.J. – The former acting executive director of the Jersey City Employment and Training Program (JCETP) has been charged with embezzling JCETP funds, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.

Sudhan M. Thomas, 44, (photo) of Jersey City, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with embezzling funds from an organization receiving federal funds. Thomas is expected to make his initial appearance on Jan. 9, 2020, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court.

According to the complaint:

Thomas served as JCETP’s acting executive director from January 2019 until his resignation in July 2019. JCETP is a nonprofit organization that operated to assist Jersey City residents to prepare for and enter the work force. JCETP received substantial amounts of its funding from federal grants from the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Using his access to JCETP funds and control of JCETP’s bank accounts, from March 2019 through July 2019, Thomas embezzled more than $45,000 from JCETP. Thomas caused checks to be drawn from JCETP accounts that were made payable to others, but ultimately received by Thomas. He also embezzled JCETP funds by issuing JCETP checks made out to cash that Thomas either cashed himself or used to obtain bank checks that Thomas made payable to his entity, Next Glocal, which were deposited into a Next Glocal bank account that Thomas controlled. Thomas used the JCETP funds deposited to Next Glocal’s bank account to pay for his personal expenses, including payments to Thomas’s landlord in Jersey City and airfare and hotel expenses for a trip to Hawaii, and to fund transfers to Thomas’ family trust account.

The count of theft from an organization receiving federal funds carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General (OIG), under the supervision of Special Agent in Charge Michael Mikulka; and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Supervisory Special Agent Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tazneen Shahabuddin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee M. Cortes Jr., Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit, in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

20-003

Defense counsel: Christopher D. Adams Esq., Roseland, New Jersey

American Life League Calls for Catholic Response to Murphy\’s $9.5M Bailout of Planned Parenthood

\”Planned Parenthood is a vicious, racist institution whose actions are diametrically opposed to Catholic moral and social teaching\”~

American Life League president Judie Brown

WASHINGTON, D.C. (03 January 2020) —

American Life League president Judie Brown

issued the following statement calling on Bishop James F. Checchio of the Catholic Diocese of Metuchen to impose canonical sanctions against New Jersey’s governor, Phil Murphy:

Planned Parenthood is a vicious, racist institution whose actions are diametrically opposed to Catholic moral and social teaching. For Murphy to shovel $9.5 million of New Jersey’s taxpayer dollars into the maw of the nation’s #1 abortion machine is abhorrent.

Such actions taken by Catholic public figures do more than just scandalize the faithful. They present to Catholics the idea that they too can create their own private version of truth. Such a condition not only coarsens society, but further erodes the authority of the Catholic bishops in the United States who continue to allow pro-abortion public figures, such as Governor Murphy, to profane the Holy Eucharist.

On behalf of the millions of pro-life Catholics whom we represent and the over 70,000 families who support our work, American Life League calls on Bishop James Checchio to take the sad but necessary step of enforcing Canon 915 and formally instructing Governor Murphy that he is not to present himself to Holy Communion.

Catholics need to be bold enough to realize the link between abortion and the Real Presence of Christ. It should be no small wonder that only 1 in 6 Catholics actually believe in the Real Presence when we do so little to defend Christ’s image in the womb.

Bishop Checchio, millions of Catholics across America are looking to you to see whether or not the Real Presence is more than what the world sees. Murphy’s mockery should not be met with silence, but correction. What would St. Thomas Becket do?

American Life League is the nation’s oldest grassroots, Catholic, pro-life organization. Its president, Judie Brown, has led the organization since its 1979 beginning. She has served three terms on the Pontifical Academy for Life—appointed twice by Pope John Paul II and again by Pope Benedict XVI.

Dillion Rodney, of Pemberton Reenlists for Continued Service in NY Army National Guard

LATHAM, NY (01/03/2020)– Major General Ray Shields, the Adjutant General, announces the recent reenlistment of members of the State National Guard in recognition of their continuing commitment to serve community, state and nation as part of the Army National Guard.

Staff Sergeant Dillion Rodney from Pemberton, N.J. reenlisted to continue service with the Battery B, 1-258th Field Artillery.

\”It\’s great to see Soldiers staying in the Army and continuing to serve their State and Nation in the New York Army National Guard,\” Shields said. \”The most important Army asset we have is the individual Soldier. The dedication, skills, and leadership traits they bring to our community and their employers are invaluable.\”

\”By choosing to stay in the Army National Guard they directly contribute to our nation\’s security and to the governor\’s ability to respond to disasters, all while building a bright future for their family through the Guard\’s retirement, education, and health insurance programs,\” Shields said.

For more information about the New York Army National Guard, visit

www.dmna.ny.gov

or

www.1800goguard.com

.

The New York National Guard (New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs) is the state\’s executive agency responsible to the Governor for managing New York\’s Military Forces, which consists of nearly 20,000 members of the New York Army National Guard, the New York Air National Guard, the New York Naval Militia and the New York Guard.

Pittsburg/Scranton Market Lucrative for House Flipping

By Dave Fidlin |

The Center Square

Homebuyers snapping up residential properties and subsequently selling them in short order were able to more than double what they initially paid in two areas of Pennsylvania, according to a recent report.

Researchers with ATTOM Data Solutions, a company specializing in property and real estate records, stated home flippers in the metropolitan statistical areas within Pittsburgh and Scranton were able to sell homes at greater price points in the third quarter of 2019.

The information is included in ATTOM’s

recently released report

on home flipping trends across the U.S.

Home flippers historically have bought and quickly resold homes for a profit, typically after making a series of repairs or improvements to raise the property’s value.

Between July and September, homebuyers who flipped homes and condos in the Pittsburgh area saw overall margins of 132.6 percent, while homebuyers in the Scranton area experienced overall margins of 122.5 percent.

The high flipping yields in the Pittsburgh and Scranton areas bucked a national trend, according to ATTOM researchers, where profit margins in most areas of the country were on the downswing.

The two Pennsylvania metropolitan areas were among eight across the U.S. where home flippers experienced returns on investment of 100 percent or more during the same statistical period. Pittsburgh and Scranton also topped the list.

Other areas of the country with high yields, close behind the two Pennsylvania areas, included Flint, Mich., at 111.2 percent; Cleveland, at 109.8 percent; and Hickory-Lenoir-Morgantown, N.C., at 109.7 percent.

In

a separate report

from the same statistical period, ATTOM researchers also revealed the Pittsburgh area had some of the largest amounts of all-cash purchases for home flipping.

In metro areas with populations of 1 million or more, Pittsburgh ranked third for all-cash purchases, according to the report, clocking in at 77.2 percent.

The metropolitan area with the greatest preponderance of all-cash purchases was Cleveland-Elyria, Ohio, at 79.2 percent, followed by the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn MSA, at 78.9 percent.

On the whole, 56,566 single-family homes and condos were flipped across the U.S. in the third quarter of 2019, according to ATTOM’s analysis. The figure represented a 12.9 percent decrease from the previous quarter and a 6.8 percent decrease from the third quarter of 2018.

In a statement, Todd Teta, chief product officer at ATTOM Data Solutions, said the home flipping declines point to narrowing profits across many areas of the country.

“The retreat back to more normal levels of sales comes amid broader market forces that are making it harder and harder for investors to complete the kinds of deals they were getting as recently as last year,” Teta said.

In the ATTOM report, Maksim Stavinsky, co-founder and chief operating officer of Roc Capital, said homebuyers in a number of areas of the country have opted to hang on to renovated properties and rent them, rather than sell them at a loss in the current marketplace.

“We have been seeing a decline in projected and realized profits for borrowers on projects, despite the fact that borrower financing costs have been meaningfully coming down,” Stavinsky said in the report.

published here with permission of The Center Square