Philadelphia Bar Association Statement on ICE Arrests within Courthouses

PHILADELPHIA, PA –

In response to recent arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within Courthouses, Chancellor Hon. A. Michael Snyder (ret.) of the

Philadelphia Bar Association

, the nation’s oldest metropolitan Bar Association, issued the

following statement:

“The Philadelphia Bar Association has long had a position of being committed to the protection of individual liberties and to safeguarding the rights of all individuals. These basic rights include the right of due process to all, whether they are citizens or not.

“The entrance of agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement service into courthouses or other facilities where legal proceedings are held causes fear among litigants, witnesses, victims and family members. The arrest of immigrants by ICE Agents, without warrants, constitutes a violation of the rights of due process.

“Recently, nonuniformed agents of ICE were recorded performing such unlawful arrests in courthouses within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in blatant contravention of the internal policies of ICE. These arrests appear to have been aided or abetted by local courthouse personnel, who witnessed the arrest but who did nothing to protect the rights of those being detained, even when the involved individual was lawfully within the courthouse, accompanied by his attorney, to conclude a legal matter not related to his application for naturalization. When his attorney asked to see the arrest warrant, the ICE agent insisted first that the arrest warrant was in his vehicle; when asked to get the warrant, the agent then insisted that he had the right to execute a ‘warrantless administrative arrest.’

“Such actions are hauntingly reminiscent of those of a police state, calling to mind the actions of a secret or state police. Actions such as these are a clear violation of basic human rights. This is not the America created by the Framers of the Constitution.

“We call upon law enforcement agencies, local governments, and court administration to prevent the access of ICE agents into courthouses, and to act to protect the rights of individuals lawfully within those facilities from harassment or arrest by ICE agents, whether uniformed or not.”

Investors and companies urge states to adopt Transportation and Climate Initiative

BOSTON, MA

—A diverse group of investors, companies, trade associations, institutions and organizations across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic are urging the region’s governors today to band together and create a clean transportation future that enables economic growth.

In letters sent to the participating leaders

, more than 100 signatories —including

Akamai, DSM, Eversource Energy, Novartis and State Street

— called the

Transportation and Climate Initiative

(TCI) a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernize and decarbonize our region’s transportation system” and emphasized how TCI will help to achieve several of their shared goals to:

Reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation;

Invest in much-needed public transit, alternative transportation and road infrastructure;

Alleviate traffic congestion;

Make the region more economically competitive; and

Generate a revenue stream to fund these and future transportation improvements.

“Legislation like the Transportation and Climate Initiative is a critical piece in achieving the scale and rate of change needed to avoid the most serious impacts of climate change,“ said

James Goudreau, head of climate at Novartis.

“Novartis recognizes its responsibility to achieve impactful change and collaborate with others to accelerate changes beyond our sector. In building trust with society we aim to: hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards, tackle complex global health challenges and be a responsible corporate citizen. This legislation supports our environmental sustainability strategy including our aspiration to become carbon neutral in our own operations by 2025, reduce our overall carbon footprint including supply chain by 50% by 2030, and to become plastic and water neutral by 2030.”

“With multiple facilities throughout the region and a commitment to emission reductions, Akamai supports the Transportation and Climate Initiative as an essential tool in modernizing our transportation system and reducing pollution,” said

Mike Mattera, director of corporate sustainability at Akamai

. “Our employees and customers see the impact of congestion on our roadways, limited public transit options and a need for more electric vehicle infrastructure. TCI is a bold proposal to tackle these challenges.”

This call comes as the 12 jurisdictions that are collaborating through TCI work to finalize a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining a market-based policy to create a clean, equitable and efficient transportation system for the region. The final MOU is expected in spring 2020.

All of the letters to each of the participating state leaders can be viewed

here

About Ceres

Ceres is a sustainability nonprofit organization working with the most influential investors and companies to build leadership and drive solutions throughout the economy. For more information, visit

www.ceres.org

and follow

@CeresNews

Evesham Man Sentenced for Possessing Child Pornography

MOUNT HOLLY –

Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced today that a 62-year-old Evesham man was sentenced to 364 days in the Burlington County Jail for possession of child pornography.

Under an agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office, Scott J. Lucas, of the first block of Sheffield Drive, pled guilty in November to Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Third Degree) in exchange for the sentence. The term was handed down yesterday by the Hon. James J. Morley, J.S.C.

Upon release, Lucas must register as a sex offender and will be subjected to parole supervision for life.

The investigation began early last year after the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit received information regarding Lucas’s online activity from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Lucas was arrested in March 2019. The investigation revealed that Lucas would use online search engines to locate pictures of nude pre-pubescent girls.

“This is a despicable crime,” Prosecutor Coffina said. “We will continue to patrol cyberspace to track down those who possess and share child pornography, or otherwise exploit children through the Internet.”

Lucas was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Eife, supervisor of the BCPO Major Crimes Unit – Special Victims Section.

The investigation was conducted by the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit, with assistance from United States Homeland Security Investigations – Cherry Hill Office, and the Evesham Township Police Department.

The lead investigator was BCPO Detective Kevin Sobotka. The Prosecutor’s Office High-Tech Crimes Unit is a member of the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the New Jersey State Police Cyber Terrorism Task Force.

All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

NEW JERSEY SPORTSBOOKS NEARLY HIT $500 MILLION IN FEBRUARY

Sportsbooks make year-over-year jump, online casinos could help lessen potential impact of coronavirus on Atlantic City casinos, according to PlayNJ

(ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.) — Super Bowl betting pushed New Jersey’s online and retail sportsbooks to a strong February, though the monthly handle fell short of $500 million for the first time since October. But the concern for New Jersey’s sportsbooks is what lies ahead, according to PlayNJ analysts, after the NBA suspended its season, the NCAA Tournament limited spectators, and other leagues mull suspensions.

“New Jersey’s year-over-year gains remained impressive in February, but we are in uncharted territory now,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for

PlayNJ.com

. “Obviously there are bigger concerns with coronavirus, but the NBA is a major revenue driver for New Jersey’s sportsbooks. So the suspension of the season, in addition to suspensions of other sports, will undoubtedly have a significant effect.”

New Jersey’s online and retail sportsbooks made a giant year-over-year leap in handle to $494.8 million, up 54.4% from $320.4 million in February 2019, according to official reporting released Thursday.

New Jersey generated $54.2 million in Super Bowl bets, but that was No. 2 to Nevada’s $156.8 million. Still, the Garden State could surpass Nevada, which posted a $458.6 million in handle in February 2019.

Despite losing $4.3 million on the big game, New Jersey sportsbooks managed to produce $17 million in gross revenue, resulting in $2.2 million in tax revenue for the state. Revenue was up 33.9% from $12.7 million in February 2019. Basketball, which produced a $6.6 million win on $219.3 million in wagers, helped sportsbooks overcome the Super Bowl loss.

“New Jersey bettors continue to show heavy interest in basketball,” Gouker said. “March Madness appears as of now as if it will be played, and it is one of the largest betting holidays in the U.S. But it is impossible to gauge just how much interest there will be if it is played at all.”

Online betting generated $436.5 million in wagers, 88.2% of the state’s handle in February. FanDuel Sportsbook/PointsBet led the way with $9.6 million in gross revenue from online betting, down from $22.2 million in January. Resorts Digital, anchored by DraftKings and Fox Bet, generated $4 million, down from $15.9 million. The online market leaders were followed by:

Monmouth/William Hill/Sugarhouse/TheScore ($1.3 million in revenue, down from $2.8 million in January)

BetMGM/Borgata ($1 million, down from $2.5 million)

Ocean Casino/William Hill ($168,015, down from $2 million)

Caesars Sportsbook/888sport ($34,183, down from $491,164)

Golden Nugget/BetAmerica (-$308,997, down from $431,643)

Hard Rock/Bet365/Unibet ($96,397, down from $340,933)

Tropicana/William Hill ($30,558, down from $74,379)

FanDuel Sportsbook at The Meadowlands again capitalized on the New York market and from localized betting on the XFL. The retail market leader posted $1.4 million in gross revenue, down from $4.3 million in January. FanDuel was followed in gross revenue by:

Tropicana Casino ($91,899, down from $100,288)

Resorts AC ($47,143, down from $163,436)

Bally’s AC ($32,199, down from $164,575)

Hard Rock AC ($19,294, up from -$4,467)

Monmouth Park (-$51,888, down from $883,716)

Ocean Casino (-$65,868, down from $377,369)

Golden Nugget (-$135,314, down from $116,266)

Borgata (-$318,896, down from $723,927)

Harrah’s AC ($41,649, down from $107,424)

ONLINE CASINOS

New Jersey’s online and poker industry set a revenue-per-day record in February, generating $52 million in revenue during the short month. February’s total was up 64% from $31.7 million in February 2019 and just shy of the record $55.1 million set last month.

Online casinos and poker generated $1.79 million per day during the 29 days in February, up from $1.78 million per day in January. March, which has historically been a big month for online casinos, could bring even more revenue in, as Atlantic City casinos brace for any impact from the coronavirus outbreak.

“Online casinos and sportsbooks should help buoy their land-based casino counterparts in Atlantic City should the coronavirus impact casino operations,” said Eric Ramsey, an analyst for

PlayNJ.com

. “The Golden Nugget’s online casino already generates more revenue than its retail casino, and others have been closing the gap. That online revenue stream could prove vitally important in the coming months.”

Some other important online casino and poker data from the February report:

Online casinos injected $7.8 million into state coffers.

The Golden Nugget tallied $19.8 million in online revenue, easily leading the market. Resorts Digital was second, generating $12.5 million.

Online casino games produced $50.2 million in revenue, up from $29.9 million in February 2019. Online poker notched $1.8 million, even with February 2019.

For more information and analysis on regulated sports betting and online gaming in New Jersey, visit

PlayNJ.com

news

About the

PlayUSA.com

Network:

The

PlayUSA.com

Network is a leading source for news, analysis, and research related to the market for regulated online gaming in the United States. With a presence in over a dozen states,

PlayUSA.com

and its state-focused branches produce daily original reporting, publish in-depth research, and offer player advocacy tools related to the advancement of safe, licensed, and legal online gaming options for consumers. Based in Las Vegas, the PlayUSA Network is independently owned and operated, with no affiliations to any casino — commercial, tribal, online, or otherwise.

# # #

Will Clinics Cancelled in CC through March

(Voorhees, NJ) – The Freeholder Board has cancelled all remaining Will Clinics at the Camden County Store in Voorhees through the month of March. The clinics provide consultation to residents who have not yet prepared their last will and testament.

“The Freeholder Board is considering county-sponsored events on a one-by-one basis in response to the spread of coronavirus throughout the United States,” said Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez, liaison to the Department of Health and Human Services. “While we understand the critical importance of this event and the service it provides, we have determined that cancelling the events is the best course of action in the interest of public health at this time.”

Residents who already registered for the upcoming clinics will receive the highest priority when registering for future clinics. Residents who have already completed the clinic but must still return to the store to receive their documents will be able to do so as scheduled.

For an updated list of all county events that have been cancelled or postponed, as well as general information about coronavirus and preparedness, please visit

camdencounty.com

Juan J. Rios, age 84, of Bellmawr

Juan J. Rios, age 84, of Bellmawr, formerly of Barrington, died peacefully with his family in his heart and at his side, on March 12, 2020.

Juan was the beloved husband of the late Maria E. Rios (nee Leal) for 54 years until her passing on July 16, 2013. The two are now happily reunited and together again. Juan was a devoted and proud father of John Rios (Judy) of Brigantine and Elena Rogers (Bob) of Glendora. Proud Grandpop/Pop-Pop of Lauren, Brian and Bob Rogers, Jr. and Joey and Johnny Bove. Juan was also a great grandfather of one, Gabriel Rogers.

Juan traveled the world as he served in the U.S. Navy for 17 years. He was a long time employee of Owens Corning Fiberglass in Barrington.

Juan, who introduced his family to the South Jersey shore, was an avid salt water fisherman and loved being on the boat and hanging out at the marina in Brigantine with his family and friends. He loved his family very much, almost as much as his family loved him.

Juan was a great provider and a strong willed man who always wanted what was best for his family and did whatever he could to ensure his family had what they needed to succeed. Juan was a proud man and he will be truly missed.

At the request of the family, funeral services and entombment will be private.

THE INSANE WEEK WE HAD EBOLA

Pastor Joe Marlin

Pastor of The Epiphany Church

On the anti-virtue of fear.

We came home from Rwanda for a few months in 2014 as missionaries for a time to reconnect with family and be ‘invisible’ in our home country, but that was not in the cards for us!

If you google

‘Maple Shade Ebola’

you will find 128,000 results. You will also see articles about it from

local news stations like Actions News

all the way to international

news agencies

like the BBC, CNN, and France 24. Yes, in the middle of that “ebola mania’ it was

our family

that came under the international spotlight, though our identities were never revealed. Not only did our family anonymously become the “Ebola scare of the week” on the news, our case affected international politics as an ebola free Rwanda, decided to impose a visa fee on American visitors for the first time and to check American’s temperature three times a day for 21 days, since ‘technically’ America had cases of Ebola. That was an interesting year. In America and then back in Africa, there wasn’t a day we did not hear about it, even deep in the village where there was no TV people knew about the Rwandans whose kids were not allowed to go to school in New Jersey.

The interviews shown on TV were not flattering of South Jersey, but it was the comment sections, and the overheard conversations at the WAWA and other local spots that was straight up as racist, and ignorant as you can imagine, even getting to the point where people threaten this “Rwandan family” with violence if they tried coming into the school.

We could have tapped out in a bunch of ways, but we didn’t. There were generous offers for our kids to go to a private school. There was also the idea that it could be leaked that this ‘Rwandan family’ are actually missionaries, and that my wife and I where married right in that town. Should our race and the reason we were in Rwanda matter?

You know the answer

Invisibility isn’t even an option for many minorities in majority spaces.

FEAR is a terrible thing, and we are seeing it raise it’s ugly head now with this coronavirus. I was reminded of this when When it comes to our kids, our fears go into hyperdrive. But we must resist fear.

This was a post recently by a friend and fellow pastor. 30 years in America, what is the excuse for this?

At Epiphany, we like to talk about the three chief virtues of a Christian, which are Faith, Hope, and Love. Sadly in the culture and in the Church, we have distorted these virtues into ‘anti-virtues.’ Instead of the three virtues, we find from the Apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians 13, we feed on fear, hate, and lust like a chained up pitbull in a junkyard .

I am going to write about these anti-virtues in the weeks to come but today I just want to encourage to ask yourself what good comes out of stoking fear? Yet that is what sells, that is what gets attention, that is what seems to motivate so many religious and so many irreligious people. True Faith is not your grandma smacking you with a Bible till you ‘fall in line’, True Faith is full of

curiosity

and

courage

. The soil where real genuine faith grows that isn’t fake is a soil where you can ask questions, where you are allowed to have doubts, and where those doubts are addressed thoughtfully and lovingly. Authentic faith also blossoms into courage, it isn’t cursing at the darkness, at the big horrible word. True faith doesn’t care about, need or even want whatever ‘cultural power’ the Church had in the past because it’s not about comfort or power. True faith is at peace because it’s hope is not in being in the majority, but being in the truth.

So I encourage you to consider what news you listen to, consider how much you listen to your friends, and ask yourself, do they stoke the fires of fear, hate, and lust or do they stoke the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love.. If we are honest with ourselves, especially as we look at the Church, so much of what we see doesn’t make us more like Christ, but less.

Let’s wash our hands, get our facts right, and love our neighbor, wherever they are from, and whatever they look like.

POST SCRIPT:Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) IS WAY MORE CONTAGIOUS THAN EBOLA (AND WAY LESS FATAL), THE PRINCIPLE OF THIS BLOG ARE THE SAME, LET’S REJECT FEAR AND HATE. HOWEVER IT IS WISE TO BE PREPARED AS POSSIBLE. SO PAY ATTENTION TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES, BUT TAKE SOME OF THE THINGS YOUR FRIENDS SAY WITH A GRAIN OF SALT.

Written by Pastor Joe Marlin, pastor of The Epiphany Church, Monmouth and Sussex Streets, Gloucester City

Different Types of Online Gambling Sites

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(March 11, 2020)–Online gambling today is part of our everyday lives. Thanks to the higher rates of internet penetration and an increased number of smartphone users, everyone can play games of chance online. Even the governments see the benefits of online gambling and a greater number of countries have

since

legalized and allow online gambling

If you’re new to the world of online gambling, you’ll likely feel overwhelmed by the huge number of gambling sites, and games. Hence, it is probably a good idea to familiarize yourself beforehand with the types of online gambling and their difference. In our article, you can read more about the most popular types of online gambling sites.

Online Bingo Sites

There are many reputable online bingo sites like

Wink Bingo

that offer bingo games online. It’s good to know that there are a couple of different versions of bingo such as 80-ball, 90-ball, 75-ball bingo and

30- ball bingo. You’ll find they are pretty similar, and regardless of the type you chose to play, the objective of the game is to mark the numbers as they are being drawn.

Unlike the game in the real world, online a random number generator is used to pick the numbers. Also, on most online bingo sites you will find a chat feature that allows you to interact with other players. This is an important component for many players that love to socialize while they play and it also builds a sense of community around the game. It’s also worth mentioning, that bingo is a game of pure luck so have fun while you play various bingo games online and connect with other players.

Online Casino Sites

On most online casino sites, you will find casino games like slots, roulette, poker, blackjack in many variants. In fact, you will have access to a vast selection of casino games, sometimes in a greater number than in a traditional casino. Another advantage of playing casino games online is the opportunity to play some of the casino games in free mode.

Furthermore, on online casino sites as a new player, you will access to a lot of exciting bonuses and promotions like free spins, welcome bonuses, and rewards. When you’re playing online casino games is good to know that some casino games require a certain level of skill and knowledge. Games like blackjack, baccarat, craps, poker are skill-based casino games and most of them are considered as casino games with the highest payouts.

Online Sports Betting Sites

online sports

betting, you are placing a bet on the outcome of an upcoming sporting event. For example, you might place your bet on Chelsea beating Arsenal in a football match. According to the result of the game, you will win a profit based on the bookmaker odds or lose the wager.

On online betting sites, there is information about the event, what kind of bets can be placed, and what you can win. The diversity and number of sporting events to choose from are one of the reasons why this form of gambling appeals to a wide audience around the world.

Online Poker Sites

Poker is one of the most popular gambling games. After all, there are whole tournaments and competitions dedicated solely to poker and in many traditional casinos, there are separate poker rooms. When you play the game online, you will have access to many opportunities to learn more about the poker, improve your skills and test different poker strategies. However, you should always keep in mind that all casino games still incorporate an element of luck which also has an influence over the end result of the game.

image source unsplash.com

Dennis M. Hobbs, of Runnemede, 61

Dennis M. Hobbs, on March 8, 2020, of Runnemede. Age 61.

Beloved husband of Andrea (nee Lipomi). Loving stepfather of Corrina Warren. Dear son of Michael and Maureen (nee Price) Hobbs. Brother of Diane Bryan and Kathy Rendine. Treasured Son in Law of Joseph and Carol Lipomi. Brother in Law of Joseph Lipomi (Dolly) and Jeffrey Lipomi (Dawn). Uncle of Nicole Rendine, Joey Lipomi and Megan Ingram (John). Loving fur-daddy of Bella.

Dennis was the Owner/President of South Jersey Office Equipment in Westville for over 30 years. He was greatly admired for his IT expertise, patience, sense of humor, kind heart, great advice, and always had the best stories. Dennis was the sunny spot in everyone\’s day. A great friend to many. Dennis loved to travel with his \”Sweetums\” and his best friends. He was a talented photographer, capturing all their beautiful memories along the way.

Family and friends will gather this Sunday, March 15 from 1:30-3:30 pm for a Celebration of Dennis\’s Life at The Marian House, 507 S Kings Highway, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034.

Prayers and eulogy to begin at 2:30pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations be made in Dennis’ name to the University of Penn Cancer Research, Glioblastoma Research at 3535 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

Is Your Backyard Ready for Spring?

Your family yard is extension for your home – providing a respite from stress, offering an outside entertainment area, expanding your living space and giving kids and pets and a safe place to play. Research shows children reap numerous health, social and personal benefits from spending time outside playing.

Here are TurfMutt’s top tips to help you get

Backyard Ready

this spring courtesy of the

TurfMutt Foundation

Plan for Fun:

Depending on your lifestyle and climate, consider an outdoor room, turfgrass for a game of croquet and a place for kids to run and play, trees and shrubs for privacy and a game of hide and seek, fire pit, pergola, sandbox (for kids and dogs to dig!), outdoor furniture, or a decorative water feature.

Plant for Kids & Pets:

There are many species of turfgrass to choose from to create pet and kids play space. Your local garden center or landscaper can help you identify what will work best for your climate zone and lifestyle. And don’t forget to avoid toxic plants to pets if they are a member of your family.

Remember Wildlife & Pollinators:

Grass, trees, shrubs and flowering plants provide food and habitat for birds, small mammals, and pollinators, so plant to support them.

Take Stock of Equipment:

Do you need to update, upgrade or replace your outdoor power equipment, like a

lawn mower

, hedger/trimmer or edger? Want to install a water solution like a smart irrigation system? Invest in outdoor power equipment now so you are ready to roll for spring!

For more information, go to

www.turfmutt.com