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‘An infectious enthusiasm for life’: Nino Constantino, 13, remembered for his quiet kindness and love for the outdoors

When Antonio “Nino” Constantino leaped into the lake during his scout troop’s water safety test for summer camp two years ago, he didn’t really think about the fact that he couldn’t swim. Lifeguards helped pull him out.

“I’m like, ‘Oh, dude, what’re you doing?’” said Bruce Schultz, leader of Scout Troop 7292 in Clayton, Gloucester County. “He said, ‘I didn’t want to let the troop down, Mr. Bruce.’”

Schultz has recounted that story a lot lately, laughing his way through it. When Troop 7292 goes to camp again this summer, the trip will be dedicated to Nino. Schultz is working to prepare vigils.

On July 6, Nino died after getting trapped underneath an overturned farm tractor in Franklin Township. He was 13 years old.

Nino, an only child and incoming eighth grader at Gateway Regional High School in Woodbury Heights, lived with his mother, Linda Brittingham, in Westville.

Family and friends described the teen as kind, adventurous, an old soul, a farm kid, and a lover of the outdoors. He liked to play video games and hang out with his cat, Kody.

As a scout, Nino was always the first to try new things. He had recently been baptized at the Bridge Bible Church in Mantua. Brittingham said there are still pigs in a blanket in the freezer that they were going to make together.

“There’s so many people that loved him,” said Brittingham, 47. “Everybody came into his life.”

Nino Constantino, 13, of Westville, poses with his mother, Linda Brittingham.

A sense of adventure

Nino spent one of his last days at Cowtown Rodeo in Salem County. He and his family wore cowboy hats and boots and rooted for the animals.

At school, Brittingham said, he liked math, but probably recess more. He spent his free time outside, riding dirt bikes, quads, mudding, and visiting the Shore. His favorite foods were ham, cheese, and mayo hoagies; mac and cheese; tater tots; and spicy ramen with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

Jay Urbaniak, 45, of Lindenwold, met Brittingham and Nino through a program at Bridge Bible. Urbaniak, who created a GoFundMe page to help support Nino’s family after his death, became fast friends with the pair.

Jay Urbaniak, 45, of Lindenwold, poses with Nino Constantino, 13, of Westville.

“He had a way of making every moment more fun. … More than anything, he had an infectious enthusiasm for life,” Urbaniak said via text. “Every time I’d call or stop by, his face would light up with excitement.”

Many things excited him, including the bearded dragons belonging to his uncle, Tony Perez, as well as cats, dogs, and pretty much any type of motor vehicle, from WaveRunners to trucks.

“I make silly dad jokes, and the smile he would give — no one else had that smile,” said Perez, 41. “That would make me laugh even at my own stupid joke. Every time I got to see that smile, that was a memory to cherish.”

Nino Constantino, 13, of Westville, poses with family friend Jay Urbaniak, 45, of Lindenwold. Nino died on July 6, 2026.

Schultz said it had been a while since Nino had gone to a scout meeting, since he took a break. He was set to return this August, though, which the troop was excited about, he said. Schultz expected Nino to become an Eagle Scout someday, a rare rank.

“He was just that beacon,” Schultz said. “I’m going to miss him a lot.”

‘The kindest kid you’ve ever met in your life’

Drew Smith, 33, of Newfield, is known by one wing at Gateway Regional High School as “Nino’s uncle.”

Really, Smith is the school’s custodian and a fellow congregant at Nino’s church. But Smith runs in the family friend group, so every day through his seventh-grade year, Nino approached Smith in the lunchroom to ask how he was doing and gave him a hug.

On days when he was not doing so hot, Smith said, Nino would usually say the same thing.

“‘I’m praying that you have a better day. I love you, Uncle Drew,’” Smith said. “‘I love you.’”

When Smith collected trash around the building on his golf cart, Nino liked to ask how fast it could go.

“I worked at this school over 10 years now,” Smith said. “There’s not many that set an example like he did, the manners and morals and values. There aren’t many kids that are in seventh grade and act like that.”

Nino Constantino, 13, of Westville, died on July 6, 2026.

Louis Raba, the middle-level assistant principal at Gateway, said Nino was successful both in the classroom and in making new friends, though he had just transitioned to the school district in the fall. He said the district’s middle school community was “deeply saddened” by Nino’s death.

“Nino was kind hearted with a tremendous sense of humor. Personally, I will always remember his smile and his growth during his seventh-grade year,” Raba said by email.

Nino was known by family for his manners. He always said “please” and “thank you.” Even in violent video games, he tried his best to be civil.

When Perez let his nephew try out Grand Theft Auto V, an action game known for crashing cars and hit-and-runs, Nino avoided collisions and obeyed traffic lights.

“I never met anyone who didn’t do crime or something. He thought you’d get points and stuff for being good, polite,” Perez said.

Back at camp, Schultz said, Nino always offered help to his fellow scouts and did a little bit of everything, from compass work to community service. He rarely complained.

“This is the kind of kid we’re looking for. Good human beings,” Schultz said. “He was that kid that would do anything for anybody. He was like the kindest kid you’ve ever met in your life.”

July 10, 2026
Freedom Fuel stations across the Philly region offer cheap gas, feature local owners, and raise ethical concerns

Across the Philadelphia region, former Sunoco, Karco, and Gas N Go stations with makeshift Freedom Fuel Network signs have been selling less-expensive gas to drivers for about a week.

Who is behind the 25 gas stations selling Freedom Fuel in the Philadelphia region, and how they are able to offer gas 40 to 50 cents cheaper than nearby stations, remains unclear.

The effort has been promoted by both the White House and President Donald Trump, raising ethics concerns from the public and government watchdogs.

Richard Painter, who served for two years as chief White House ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration, said it is within a business owner’s First Amendment right to sell cheap gas, possibly at a loss, to “improve the image of the president and help the country through a national crisis.”

“The ethical issue is the involvement of the Trump administration,” he said, pointing to federal regulations that set standards of conduct for executive branch employees. “They simply can’t endorse it or have anything to do with it.”

An entity called “Freedom Fuel Network LLC,” based in Delaware, applied for a trademark on July 1. That same day, Trump promoted the network, saying on his Truth Social account that it was being run by a “very smart retailer.”

There are no businesses registered in either Pennsylvania or New Jersey under the name Freedom Fuel Network.

The White House did not respond to multiple requests to identify or provide contact information for the owners. A White House spokesperson would say only that it is a private company that is not purchasing gas at a discount or receiving government money.

Anna Vishev, the attorney who filed the Freedom Fuel Network trademark application, said she would pass inquiries along to her client, but The Inquirer never heard back.

A Freedom Fuel-branded station on Rt. 73 in Marlton, N.J.

Due to tight profit margins, stations that sell cheaper gas usually focus on making up the difference in other ways, such as convenience stores and car washes, according to Jeff Lenard, spokesperson for the National Association of Convenience Stores, a trade organization representing retail fuel outlets.

That does not appear to be the case at many of the Freedom Fuel Network stores Inquirer reporters visited in recent days. One location in Brookhaven, Delaware County, had an inoperable convenience store. Several were very small, appeared somewhat rundown, and offered a very limited selection of products.

“It’s difficult to see how these stations are making money,” Lenard said. “Those types of stations tend to be more dependent on gas margins.”

Lenard said it is possible the Freedom Fuel Network branding is a temporary promotion, which is not unheard of in the fuel industry. T-Mobile partnered with Shell last month to offer $1.99-a-gallon gas at stations in Los Angeles, Houston, and Chicago as part of an anniversary promotion.

Some Freedom Fuel stations were already raising gas prices by the end of the week, including in Bensalem, where gas was $3.57 a gallon Friday.

While questions remain about the owners and structure of the Freedom Fuel Network, Lenard said gasoline is a highly regulated industry and drivers should not worry about purchasing fuel from lesser-known brands.

“There shouldn’t be an issue with gas quality,” Lenard said. “When fuel comes out of the refinery, there’s nothing that says it’s BP gas, it’s Wawa gas. … It’s all blended together.”

A small network of local owners and past issues with stations

Freedom Fuel Network branding is draped over a Gas n’ Go sign at a station on Edgmont Avenue in Brookhaven.

Inquirer reporters reached out to the parcel owners, lessees, and LLCs connected to at least 19 of the gas stations. Most calls and messages went unanswered, and, on two occasions, reporters were directed to the Freedom Fuel website by LLC affiliates. In-person queries were also unsuccessful, with store attendants saying they were unaware of the origins of the branding change or unauthorized to talk about the matter.

The opaqueness behind a private operation receiving White House promotion has drawn considerable scrutiny online and even an in-person protester at a Montgomery County location.

“Who is paying for this[?]” read a man’s sign earlier this week.

By the end of the week, Freedom Fuel offered limited remarks through the venture’s website, saying it had “answered President Trump’s call to action to lower prices at the pump.” It went on to dismiss unspecified “misinformation and baseless speculation circulating.”

“As a result of lowering prices, 25 gas stations have experienced explosive growth — an average volume increase of more than 50 percent, with several locations surging over 100 percent,” said the message.

The company did not expand on how the operation came to be or how the discounts work, but at least two clusters of network participants have shared ownership ties, with one of the clusters promoting its participation on social media.

A local Karco Gas Instagram account highlighted the Freedom Fuel transformation in its stories — at least two of its locations in Philadelphia and one in Bensalem are part of the network.

The Freedom Fuel site in Bensalem has ties to Cherry Hill developer Shamikh Kazmi, who is listed as president of Diwan Petrol Inc. The business was ensnared in a lengthy trademark dispute with BP America Inc. and BP Products North America Inc. in 2021.

After the business failed to fully comply with a judge’s order to remove BP signage, four deputies with the U.S. Marshals Service seized remaining brand signs in June 2022, according to court documents.

Kazmi could not be reached for comment, but in February announced plans to expand his Yum Grills venture to 15 locations in the Philadelphia region, including a gas station in Eagleville, Montgomery County, that is also part of the Freedom Fuel Network.

At least five other network locations are run by members of a family that operates gas stations in the region under various LLCs, including Syan I Inc., Syan Investment LLC, and Fernwood Realty Co.

The only other time one of the five locations across Delaware County and Philadelphia drew media attention was in 2021, when the Gas N Go in Brookhaven experienced an unknown problem with fuel delivery. The subsequent oil spill resulted in dozens of dead frogs, turtles, fish, and a fox along a nearby waterway.

Another Freedom Fuel station, this one in the Nicetown section of Philadelphia, had been embroiled in a trademark dispute that ended with a judge ordering the removal of all Phillips 66 branding and a $20,000 judgment against KRSM Inc. and site owner Riar HR LLC in May.

An attorney for the defendants was not listed on the docket and calls to the owner of Riar HR LLC went unreturned.

How promotions have changed during the Trump era

Painter, who is now a law professor at the University of Minnesota, noted that stringent ethics rules have been in place since the Watergate scandal that limit using a public office to endorse any companies or organizations, whether they are private or nonprofits.

That is why Painter was vocal about concerns regarding the creation of the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in 2017. When Joe Biden became president-elect, he encouraged his transition team to have the University of Pennsylvania drop the name to avoid the appearance of impropriety when the university raised funds for the center. That never happened.

Still, Trump and his administrations have taken very different approach to these ethics rules since his first term in office.

“We’ve seen multiple instances in which this president has chosen to endorse, in his official capacity, private companies and private organizations,” Painter said. “This is something I would have absolutely insisted not happen under the Bush administration.”

Earlier this term, Trump turned the White House lawn into a Tesla showroom, and just this week, Dell Technologies shares soared after he promoted the company in the Oval Office.

For now, questions about Freedom Fuel’s structure and ties to the Trump administration continue to spark anger, skepticism, and curiosity.

“Customers are asking. We tell them to visit the website,” said Mike R., a manager of a few Freedom Fuel stations in Delaware County who declined to be fully identified, citing concern over his privacy. ”Frankly, I have no information.”

Meanwhile, Ankit Modi, the owner of a Sunoco franchise in Bensalem for the last 15 years, said the low prices of a Freedom Fuel station next door were hurting his business.

“People see the lower price and just go there,” Modi said. “I don’t know how it works.”

Modi said the Freedom Fuel signs looked temporary, and he had expected the station to revert to Karco following the Fourth of July. That has not happened. On Friday, Freedom Fuel was selling gas for 43 cents a gallon less than Modi’s Sunoco.

“I’m making just eight to 10 cents in profit [per gallon], so how are they able to sell for less without government help?” Modi said. “It’s shady and unheard of.”

Back in North Philadelphia, the lack of information was not stopping drivers from pulling in and filling up their tanks.

“It doesn’t matter to me where it comes from if I see a good price,” said Jorge Mejia, who pumped gas into his car and had no clue what made the gas cheap. “I just hope it’s good.”

July 10, 2026
Holiday weekend heat-deaths in N.J. labeled ‘mass casualty event’ by advocates

Heat-related deaths in New Jersey appear to have shot up roughly five-fold over last summer following a holiday weekend with record-high temperatures, prompting advocates to urge the state to do more to protect vulnerable residents.

New Jersey reported 29 heat-related deaths between July 2 — when state data show temperatures in New Jersey peaked at 108 degrees — and July 6, according to state health officials, up from six such fatalities last summer.

Roughly a dozen of the deaths involved people who were unhoused or living in their cars, said Connie Mercer, CEO of the NJ Coalition to End Homelessness.

“Really we had a mass casualty event,” Mercer said.

Mercer and others want the state to expand its network of emergency cooling centers and take other steps to better protect those who are living or working outside from the impact of extreme temperatures.

State health officials did not provide specifics on the recent heat-related deaths, which must still be confirmed by autopsies, but they said most occurred in north and central New Jersey and involved people of all ages, not just elderly residents. Some were found in homes without air conditioning, while others died on the street or in parked cars, they said.

The heat also led emergency rooms to diagnose 132 people with heat-related illnesses on July 3, the highest single-day total in several years. Between July 2 and July 6, more than 350 people sought emergency care for heat issues, state data show.

“This is not a typical summer heat wave and it’s really important that we all take it seriously because it can become life-threatening very quickly,” state health commissioner Raynard Washington said at a July 4 press conference on storm damage and heat impacts.

New Jersey has reported heat-related fatalities in the single-digits for most years since 2000, when there were just two such deaths, according to health department data. Deaths peaked at 11 in 2002 and reached 10 in 2011 but fell to three in 2024.

The recent high death toll underscores the need to do more to protect those who work outdoors, according to state Sen. Joe Cryan (D., Union), who has championed a bill to create a state program to reduce occupational heat stress.

The bill, which has yet to get a hearing, calls for farms, amusement parks, and other outdoor job sites to provide water and shade breaks, and monitor workers for heat stress, among other things.

“Twenty-nine heat-related deaths is a staggering figure for one of the wealthiest states in the nation,” Cryan told the New Jersey Monitor, adding that he is renewing his push for worker protections and believes Gov. Mikie Sherrill “should be leading the charge for it.”

Sherrill’s office declined to comment but pointed to a broadcast interview the governor gave earlier this week about the impacts of the recent extreme weather, in which she said she was open to new ways to better serve the public during storms and heat waves. She said state agencies had sought to warn residents through social media and other channels and noted her office had worked closely with counties to establish cooling centers.

The governor also announced a new heat-health website during a July 4 press conference and urged residents to look out for each other during the extreme temperatures.

“Extreme heat is the number one weather-related killer in America, and this is the hottest stretch we’ve seen in over 14 years. And the heat is hitting all of us — not just seniors, not just people with underlying conditions. People of all ages,” Sherrill said.

Advocates like Mercer said extreme temperature was only part of the problem. The recent deaths were preventable, she said, a result of systemic policy failure. New Jersey needs to do more to create affordable housing and support shelters, and to invest in emergency sites to keep people cool on dangerously hot days, she said.

“Quality shelter in a variety of forms would make sure that not too many people died horrible deaths out in the sun,” she told the New Jersey Monitor.

According to the most recent annual point-in-time count, more than 13,700 people in the state were considered homeless in 2025.

Heat-related illnesses occur when the body can’t properly cool itself, according to the health department, and the higher the temperature, the greater the risk. Infants, older adults, and people with chronic health conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular issues and respiratory diseases are most in danger, it notes.

Kelvin Boddy, director of healthy homes and communities with the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey, said the recent fatalities underscore the need for a statewide “code red” alert system for extreme heat, like the “code blue” warnings now in place for deep freezes.

As it is, Boddy said a handful of urban centers have instituted comprehensive responses to heat events, with designated cooling centers and clear strategies to communicate these options to residents. A pilot program adopted last year and backed by $2.5 million in state funds calls for similar programs in the five counties with the highest homeless rates: Essex, Burlington, Hudson, Union, and Mercer.

Work on the pilot is progressing slowly however, Boddy said, and the need for cooling services stretches statewide. “Clearly, as we saw with the recent statewide heatwave, this is needed outside the five counties,” he told the New Jersey Monitor.

Mercer said the code red program, while well intentioned, is not enough to address the need. “It’s a joke,” she said.

This story originally appeared on New Jersey Monitor.

July 10, 2026
Philly sets a rain record, and more showers are possible Friday and Saturday

It may be a while before the drought advisories disappear, but since Monday Philadelphia has had more rain than in any entire month since March 2025. And the city of Camden has been clocked well over a half-foot of rain.

In both instances, if it seemed like most of that came in a hurry, it did.

On Thursday, for the second time in a week, downpours set off a flood of warnings in the city, the neighboring counties and Delaware.

And more showers are possible Friday and Saturday, but the atmosphere isn’t expected to upstage its performance since it turned off last weekend’s 100-degree heat.

Thursday’s downpours wrung out 2 and 3 inches of rain in several towns across the region.

Flooding was reported along numerous roads, with vehicles stranded, including in the vicinity of the Ben Franklin Bridge, the National Weather Service said. The rains could continue until 7 or 8 p.m. Thursday, said Alex Staarmann, meteorologist inthe Mount Holly office.

Multiple water rescues have been reported in Wilmington.

Philadelphia broke a 74-year-old record for a July 9 with 2.61 inches of rain measured officially, according to the weather service.

At one point flood warnings had been posted for the city and in all seven neighboring counties.

But the rain lately has been random. And in the grand casino of the atmosphere, that was the case Thursday, and not every place got the soakings.

The drought conditions are likely to persist despite the storms

In the weekly inter-agency U.S. Drought Monitor update posted Thursday, some degree of drought conditions persisted in all of New Jersey, Philly, and the neighboring Pennsylvania counties.

The drought monitor has most of the region was in “moderate drought,” with some improvement in Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester Counties.

But all of Chester County and most Montgomery County were in “severe drought.” Southeastern New Jersey, including the Shore towns, were in “extreme drought.”

Soil moisture levels will remain significantly below normal during the next week, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center.

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And it appears the atmospheric faucets are going to shut after Saturday.

Said Joseph DeSilva, meteorologist at the weather service’s Mounty Holly office, “Next week looks pretty dry.”

July 9, 2026
Richard H. Glanton, longtime lawyer, business entrepreneur, and innovative former president of the Barnes Foundation, has died at 79

Richard H. Glanton, 79, formerly of Philadelphia, longtime lawyer, onetime executive deputy counsel to former Gov. Dick Thornburgh, business entrepreneur, former Lincoln University trustee, and innovative former president of the Barnes Foundation, died Sunday, June 21, of a heart attack at his home in Princeton.

Born and reared in rural Georgia and one of the first Black graduates of what is now the University of West Georgia, Mr. Glanton went on to become a prominent Philadelphia lawyer, state government policy and administration expert, corporate vice president, and indefatigable president of the Barnes Foundation’s collection of Impressionist, post-Impressionist, and modern art.

He was elected president of the Barnes Foundation in 1990, served until 1998, and championed a series of controversial initiatives to finance extensive gallery renovations and the operation of its art collection and related educational programs. To raise the money, he suggested, among other things, selling 15 of the collection’s hundreds of paintings, charging million-dollar fees for a worldwide lending tour of 83 paintings, extending visiting hours, increasing admission, building a new parking lot, selling a coffee-table catalog, and renting out its art studios.

All of his ideas, several of which did not materialize, drew supporters and critics, and Mr. Glanton, also a Barnes trustee, spoke often of his policy discussions with other Barnes officials, art experts around the world, politicians, and neighbors of the foundation building in Lower Merion Township. In 1990, he told The Inquirer: “I never purported to know anything about art. But I can lead.”

His most successful project turned out to be a two-year world lending tour of 83 foundation paintings that raised about $20 million and drew raves from museum leaders in Washington, Paris, Tokyo, Fort Worth, Toronto, and Philadelphia. The exhibition in Paris drew a then-record 1.5 million visitors, and Mr. Glanton was feted at every stop.

“Richard is somebody who started out by wanting to do something good and important and substantial, and persevered to do it despite a great deal of criticism,” Glenn D. Lowry, then director of the Art Gallery of Ontario, told The Inquirer in 1995.

Some critics said Mr. Glanton and others valued the foundation’s commercial success over its original educational role and what The Inquirer’s Edward J. Sozanski called “the Barnes mystique.” When the lending tour ended at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1995, Mr. Glanton told The Inquirer: “I never realized or understood that it could be controversial to make available to the public a collection that is a public trust.

“But I think if you think something’s right, you should do it, whether or not people disagree, and whether it is popular or not. … You have to think not only in terms of your lifetime, but in 100 years, 1,000 years. And when you do, these little slings and arrows don’t really matter that much.”

A story and this photo of Mr. Glanton appeared in The Inquirer in 1995.

Mr. Glanton was executive deputy counsel to Gov. Thornburgh from 1979 to 1983, and he met often with constituents and helped fill judicial vacancies. “Richard is a political animal,” Ted Pillsbury, then director of the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, told The Inquirer in 1995. “He understands politics. He understands what makes politics work, and he understands people. And he does not take certain things personally.”

Mr. Glanton earned his law degree at the University of Virginia School of Law in 1972 and spent several years with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, United Airlines, and other companies. In Philadelphia, he represented politicians and other notable clients, and specialized in energy, insurance, and real estate cases for firms known now as WolfBlock and Reed Smith.

He was also senior vice president of corporate development at Exelon Corp., founder of a local TV station, social media company, and consulting firm, and board member at Aqua America, the Morris Arboretum, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and other groups. He ended a workplace sexual harassment suit with a private settlement in the early 1990s and had public policy spats with local government officials and former Lincoln president Niara Sudarkasa.

He considered running for mayor in 1995. Former Gov. Ed Rendell said: “He was exceptionally bright, courageous, and never afraid to challenge the status quo in pursuit of what he believed was right.”

Mr. Glanton was at home in a suit jacket and tie.

One of 11 children, Richard Howard Glanton was born Nov. 21, 1946. He was reared in rural Villa Rica, Ga., did not start school until the fourth grade, and worked with his siblings for years on the family farm.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in English and, in 2005, was awarded an honorary doctorate from West Georgia. He married Scheryl Williams, and they had a daughter, Morgan, and a son, David.

After a divorce, he married Eileen Candia, and they had a daughter, Georgia. They lived in Philadelphia and Chicago, and moved to Princeton in 2009.

Mr. Glanton was a doting father, his family said. He taught his children to ride bikes and read Shakespeare. “He taught me that there was no room in which I didn’t belong or couldn’t strive to enter,” his daughter Morgan said. “I love him for that.”

Mr. Glanton was an avid reader and golfer.

Nearly everyone he met remembered his laugh and perpetual suit jacket and tie. He played golf, was an avid reader, and would talk politics for hours.

“He was fearless in his conviction to do what he believed was necessary and proper to achieve his goals and provide for his family,” his son said. His wife said: “He was kind and generous. He made everyone he spoke to feel special. He was always bringing you in.”

Why did best-selling author Carol Saline email The Inquirer’s obit writer?

In addition to his wife, children, and former wife, Mr. Glanton is survived by two sisters, four brothers, and other relatives. One sister and four brothers died earlier.

Memorial services are to be held at noon Saturday, July 18, at Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church, 119 Thomas Dorsey Dr., Villa Rica, Ga. 30180, and at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at the Union League, 140 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19102.

Donations in his name may be made to the University of Virginia Law School Foundation’s Elaine R. Jones Scholarship, 580 Massie Rd., Charlottesville, Va. 22903.

Mr. Glanton (left) enjoyed working on projects.

July 9, 2026
‘Your life is officially over’: Oregon man who murdered Cherry Hill veterinarian sentenced to 30 years in prison

An Oregon man on Thursday was ordered to spend 30 years in prison for fatally stabbing a beloved South Jersey veterinarian at the vet’s Cherry Hill home.

Cristian Custodio-Aquino, 28, of Portland, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in June for the killing of 45-year-old Michael Anthony.

The body of Anthony, a divorced father of two, was discovered on the front lawn of his home in Cherry Hill’s Barclay Farm section in December 2024.

He had been stabbed in the body, neck, and head. Detectives used a variety of methods to link Custodio-Aquino to the crime, including the collection of DNA from a pair of prescription eyeglasses he had left at the crime scene.

During Custodio-Aquino’s sentencing before Camden County Superior Court Judge Judith Charny, Anthony’s family members spoke tearfully of late veterinarian, who they described as kind, wickedly funny, and a devoted father to his sons.

Above all, they grappled for answers as to why Custodio-Aquino murdered Anthony that morning on his front lawn.

“You took all of the future moments that should have belong to him,” said Patricia Anthony Gershefski, one of Anthony’s sisters.

Anthony Gershefski said her brother was warm and sensitive, even moving his veterinarian practice just to be closer to his children.

The brutal nature of the crime confounds the family to this day.

In her career as a professional psychologist, Anthony Gershefski said, she has found “no diagnostic category for the deliberate destruction of another person’s life in this savage and grotesque manner.”

Kyle Bartsch, Anthony’s partner, said in a statement read by prosecutors that Anthony had filled their home on Sharrowvale Road with love and laughter.

His death, Bartsch said, leaves “a permanent void in the lives of those who knew him.”

While Custodio-Aquino’s attorneys had previously suggested that prosecutors did not have enough evidence to convict their client of murder, they were mum throughout the proceeding.

In addition to the eyeglasses investigators linked to the Peru native, license plate readers captured Custodio-Aquino’s car entering and exiting Anthony’s neighborhood that morning, and forensic experts later recovered a sample of the veterinarian’s blood from the vehicle.

Prosecutors believe Custodio-Aquino traversed the country in a fit of jealousy that fall before killing Anthony.

He had previously dated Anthony’s partner, Bartsch, and once lived with the man in Haddon Township before the couple separated in 2021 after a domestic dispute, according to prosecutors.

Custodio-Aquino, given the opportunity to address the court, spoke so softly that Charny asked that he repeat himself.

Raising his voice, he said: “I do agree that the world is less than without Michael Anthony.”

He was sentenced to 30 years in a state correctional facility without parole. Charny offered few words on the ruling beyond wishing Custodio-Aquino good luck.

It was Henry Anthony, Anthony’s teenage son, who saved some of the most biting remarks for his father’s killer.

“Your life is officially over,” Anthony said, turning to look at Custodio-Aquino. “I honestly wonder what your reason for living will be for the next 30 years.”

July 9, 2026
Mount Laurel schools name longtime Cherry Hill educator Neil Burti as new superintendent

Mount Laurel public schools will start the next academic year with a new leader at the helm.

Neil Burti will take over as superintendent of schools starting Aug. 1, succeeding George Rafferty, who is retiring after leading the district for a decade.

After an extensive search, “Dr. Burti distinguished himself as the candidate whose experience, leadership style, and vision best aligned with the needs of the Mount Laurel School District,” Danielle Stuffo, president of the Mount Laurel Board of Education, said in an email.

Burti has more than 25 years of experience as an educator and administrator and is a longtime employee of the Cherry Hill Public Schools. While there, he served at all levels of leadership and was most recently the director of secondary education for the district.

Earlier this year, Burti also stepped in to handle the principal responsibilities during the second half of the school year at Cherry Hill High School East following a period of administrative upheaval in the school district.

The shake-up came after a lawsuit filed last September alleged that East’s former principal, alongside the Cherry Hill Board of Education and two other top administrators, subjected a former assistant principal to discrimination and retaliation.

A new principal at East, John Cafagna, took over this month.

“We are confident [Burti] will build upon the district’s many strengths, work collaboratively with our staff and community, and continue our focus on providing an exceptional educational experience for every student,” Stuffo said.

Stuffo said the district’s goals will largely remain the same under new leadership.

She acknowledged that the district will need to address increasing financial pressures, as Mount Laurel has not been spared from the budgetary challenges affecting school districts across New Jersey.

Like other districts, Stuffo said, Mount Laurel will work to continuously improve student experience and outcomes while adapting to evolving educational needs — and doing so within an increasingly limited budget.

“Fortunately, Mount Laurel is well positioned, with excellent staff and strong systems already in place. As Dr. Burti becomes familiar with the district, he will have the opportunity to evaluate our organizational structure and administrative leadership and, if appropriate, make recommendations to the Board for consideration,” she said in the email.

Burti was named the 2024 New Jersey Secondary School Principal of the Year during his time leading Cherry Hill’s John A. Carusi Middle School.

Burti holds a bachelor’s degree in movement studies and exercise science from East Stroudsburg University, a master’s degree in educational leadership from Temple University, and a doctorate in innovation and leadership from Wilmington University.

July 9, 2026
🍦 Is waiting in line the point? | Down the Shore

Here we are, Fourth of July in the rearview mirror. Hang on, make those beach plans because it’ll be Labor Day before you know it.

It was a long holiday weekend that had towns and beaches bursting at the seams (also my house, with guests). But the heat that descended on Philly — and the towns just over the bridge from the Shore — never made it to the beach.

Nights cooled off for fireworks, and the daytime breezes stayed blissfully cool off the ocean. Sorry if you missed it, but the Shore was mostly just lovely.

Which I guess made those ridiculous lines you all waited in — for coffee, for doughnuts, for subs, for ice cream — a bit more bearable?

What is it about being on vacation that makes it tolerable to wait an hour for coffee in Ventnor, for doughnuts in Margate, for ice cream in Stone Harbor?

We asked our ever-ready group of Shore Line texters (sign up here) about these wild waits, and while some swore they’d never partake, or only go on off-hours, or find a way to circumvent, others made the case that those lines have actually become a sentimental, even enjoyable, part of their Shore journey. Here’s a sampling:

I’ll wait in a longer line down the shore. It’s tradition and fun to meet people in line.

It is akin to vacation time. No schedule; fun time. You just want go enjoy and socialize. Standing in line is a part of that experience and considered acceptable for that reason.

Only for Springer’s Ice Cream or The Lobster House. Hanging out on the wharf waiting for The Lobster House is as much fun as eating at The Lobster House!

Welcome to summers at the shore. The one thing you can count on is lines at the ice cream establishments. I often kid that, at a certain time on the weekends, an imaginary bell goes off and people rush out to get ice cream. No way around it.

Standing in line for ice cream is a social event as well as eating the ice cream. Also, the ice cream is usually special.

There’s just certain things we have to have for tradition’s sake and willing to wait 1-2 times a year.

OK, if you all say so! Glad you’re enjoying the lines, and so no need for me to share my avoid-the-line secrets!

📮 What are some essential Shore traditions you have to do no matter how long the wait? What memories or moments stick with you over the years of coming down the Shore? Keep scrolling for one of my essential Shore memories below, recreated this weekend for a new generation. Plus, send me yours here for a chance to be featured in this newsletter!

Have ideas or news tips about the Shore or this newsletter? Send them to me here.

⛅ After a couple of rainy days, some beautiful weather appears to be on the way.

— Amy S. Rosenberg (Follow me at @amysrosenberg, 📷 on Instagram at @amysrosenberg. 📧 Email me here.)

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

Shore talk

🧓 Atlantic County has joined Cape May County in having more people over 65 than under 18, new census figures show.

🔉Somers Point Council tabled a proposed ordinance that would have allowed outdoor music past 11 p.m.

🏄 The coolest people went surfing under the fireworks.

📱 His dream Shore house popped up on his phone while eating at a Wildwood tavern.

🏀 Knicks coach Rick Brunson brought the Larry O’Brien championship trophy around to some Margate hot spots, including Tideline and Betty’s.

🎡 Eustace Mita tells the Cape May County Herald’s Bill Barlow he will be flexible with his hotel plans for Ocean City’s Wonderland Pier site.

What to eat/What to do

🐷 North Wildwood is hosting the annual New Jersey State Barbecue Championship & Angelsea Blues Festival.

😌 Longport’s new Beach Terrace park with a zen garden is open.

🎙️ The Stylistics will perform in Cape May on Sunday.

🍴 Craig LaBan has food recs from LBI to Margate. He seemed especially fond of the deep-fried green tomato tots at Ellis’ Chicken & Crab Cakes in Beach Haven and the spicy Oaxacan chorizo meatballs from the newly reopened Iron Room in A.C.

🧘🏽‍♀️Try free yoga in Atlantic City’s O’Donnell Park.

🎹 Angeloni’s Club Madrid is hosting Sunday piano bar karaoke with Joe McGinty, former keyboardist for the Psychedelic Furs and Atlantic City native.

🛟 South Jersey lifeguard races have begun! Here’s a schedule.

🤫 Travel and Leisure thinks Stone Harbor is a secret and has some recs.

Shore snapshot

Elena D’Angelo and Dre Cook, of the Scranton area, dance during the annual Team 62 fundraising event for the Eagles Autism Foundation at the outdoor Paddy’s Green, in Sea Isle City, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.

🧠 Trivia time

In 2001, this city’s fireworks over the ocean led to a real show: The barge caught fire and burned out of control for hours, forcing the rescue of seven workers and a cascade of exploding shells.

Was this city:

A. Ocean City

B. Atlantic City

C. Avalon

D. Seaside Heights

If you think you know the answer, click on my pal Brendan Shur’s story from the wee hours of July 5 that year to find out (I went home to put my daughter to bed, what can I say).

Your thoughts on: Wonderland Pier

Ocean City’s City Council finally made it official: The old Wonderland Pier site was designated as being in need of rehabilitation. Let the negotiations over the hotel begin!

Here are your thoughts:

Bruce Sauerwine: It’s time to move on and build a hotel at the site. Mita proposed a nice looking hotel but some people want to live in the past and pretend that an amusement arcade was still a viable option at this time.

Kerri McGinley Kistler: There is absolutely no need or justification for Mita’s hotel plan. … “Hey kids, let’s go see the hotel”- said nobody ever!

Jeremy Maziarz: It is time for the Wonderland Pier to be re-developed. An amusement park use for this property is no longer a viable option. A mixed-use plan including a luxury hotel may actually be the best use for the site. If the height restrictions are an issue, then start the negotiation process with the developer. If he wants zoning relief, then he should offer up significant concessions to Ocean City to make it a win-win scenario.

Debbie Federico: We love Playland’s Castaway Cove, but it is now too small to accommodate all of the young children, strollers and families that use it. It would be very beneficial to reopen Wonderland.

Your Shore memory

This week’s Shore memory is my own.

For years, I had a toddler bike seat on an old green bike we’d bought for the boardwalk, and loved riding with one of my daughters on the back. I kept that bike seat on for much longer than they used it, sometimes sticking groceries into it. The rides were so special, so much fun, our way to wave to people we knew, pass the years, that I couldn’t bear to remove it, but finally took it off and stashed it in the basement.

I kept riding that bike though, a Specialized hybrid which was already used in 1995, and extremely used now, decades of sea air rust swirling through it. But let me tell you, that bike has good bones (better not to try to switch gears).

This past week, we dusted off the old bike seat, replaced the brake cables on the beloved bike, figured out how to replace the missing straps on the seat, and clipped it right there onto the back of the same green bike. And who wriggled happily into it under his new green toddler helmet, ready to do the obligatory “touch the end” at both the Margate and Atlantic City sides of the Boardwalk but my 2-year-old grandson.

Send us your Shore memory! In 200 words, tell me how the Shore taps into something deep for you, and we will publish them in this space during the summer.

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.

July 9, 2026
Medford approves four housing projects with more than 200 affordable units to meet state mandate

Tackling what local officials called “one of the most significant matters” facing the Medford community, township council approved four redevelopment projects Tuesday night that will bring hundreds of affordable units to the township.

All of the projects are part of Medford’s effort to meet their state-mandated affordable housing requirements. The housing obligations stem from a 1975 New Jersey Supreme Court ruling requiring that all municipalities develop a certain amount of affordable housing.

Every 10 years, each municipality in the state is given a specific quota of affordable units to plan for over the next decade based on considerations that include population, income, and land capacity.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development generally follows the 30% rule to determine affordability — any dwelling that costs 30% or less of a household’s gross income is deemed affordable.

In New Jersey, affordable housing is restricted to households with earnings that must be at or below 80% of the area median income for the area. In Medford, the median household income is $157,969, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That would mean any household earning less than roughly $126,375 per year would be eligible for the new affordable units.

The state most recently determined Medford must build a total of 240 affordable units by 2035.

The four development proposals that were approved would collectively add 226 affordable housing units as part of approximately 1,067 total new residential units within the township. All of the projects also plan for some type of on-site recreational amenity like playgrounds, pavilions, or picnic areas.

As part of the agreements, builder D.R. Horton will pay the township a $3 million redeveloper’s fee and a $1.7 million recreational and community benefit contribution that will be split between local nonprofits and the Medford Youth Athletic Association.

While the township has enough water infrastructure capacity for the new developments, D.R. Horton has also agreed to construct a water tower through the use of a $5 million special assessment bond with no cost to the township if it’s determined that water pressure is insufficient, Township Solicitor Patrick Varga said.

Large housing developments are often contentious in South Jersey, especially in places like Medford where residents value open space and are concerned more families will overburden an already cash-strapped school district.

In response to resident concerns about overbuilding, Medford Mayor Mike Czyzyk said Tuesday that the only residential communities that the township has approved in recent memory were related to the township’s affordable housing requirements.

“Medford has had a history of not building residential unless it’s required by the state,” Czyzyk told attendees during the meeting. “So as it stands today, there are no large or small-scale residential tracts being developed. There may be parcels being developed for residential use, like on Mill Street and in different areas, but there’s no communities coming to Medford outside of the ones required to be built to satisfy our affordable housing need.”

During Tuesday’s meeting, one resident questioned the township’s need to move forward with all of the projects at once, especially given that it is still so early in the 10-year window. But officials said that the timeline was out of their hands and they had a state deadline to meet.

“Every town in the state of New Jersey was required to adopt and finalize how it was going to comply with its Housing Element and Fair Share Plan for the Fourth Round by March 15,” Varga said. “The Township of Medford was one of a handful of towns that received an extension.”

Now that council has approved the redevelopment agreements, the township will be taking the plans before a judge who will determine if Medford is in compliance with their housing requirements.

Here’s what’s included in each of the redevelopment plans:

The Reserve at Ironbridge

Located on a 64-acre parcel at the intersection of Church and Eayrestown Roads, the Reserve at Ironbridge will include up to 287 total units, 48 of which will be designated as affordable.

Landing at Kirby’s Mill

Not far away, a 61-acre lot at Church and Fostertown Roads will become the 198-unit Landing at Kirby’s Mill. Forty of these units will be affordable.

Trollinger-Stonebridge

The largest of the four projects, the Trollinger-Stonebridge project will total more than 164 acres northeast of Church Road and County Route 541. The project includes up to 48 affordable units out of a total of 300 new residences. This project also includes plans for a bike trail to be constructed and paid for by the builder, pending state approval.

Flying W

Planned for a 114-acre lot on Fostertown Road, Flying W includes the greatest affordable housing contribution among the four projects. With 90 affordable units, 31% of the 282 total units will be set aside for low-income residents. All market-rate units in the development will be age-restricted.

July 9, 2026
What to know about the closure of the Ben Franklin Bridge this Saturday

With Philadelphia’s Fourth of July festivities for the United States’ 250th birthday having come and gone, this weekend will mark a celebration for a newly minted centenarian. And with any luck, that party won’t run so late.

Technically, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge turned 100 on July 1, but the Delaware River Port Authority will mark that milestone with a party Saturday.

Set to take place from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the Camden side of the bridge near its toll plaza, the event will close the bridge to vehicles for much of the day, allowing attendees to walk the span’s roadway.

The party will feature interactive historical displays, food trucks, music, and other activities. It’s open to the public and free to attend, and while not required, advance registration via the DRPA website is encouraged, officials said.

“For 100 years, the Ben Franklin Bridge has stood as more than a crossing over the Delaware River. It is a public promise,” John T. Hanson, DRPA chief executive officer, said in a statement. “We are proud to invite the public to celebrate its past, recognize those who have preserved it, and look ahead to the next 100 years.”

Here is what you need to know:

Closed to cars

Due to the event, the bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic in both directions from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, DRPA officials said in a statement.

Road closures around the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, officials said, should be expected during the event. However, the Walt Whitman and Betsy Ross Bridges will remain open for motorists.

While the bridge travel lanes will be open to foot traffic, the pedestrian walkway will be closed during the event. It will reopen at 2:30 p.m., and continue to operating until 9 p.m., the usual closing time.

Additionally, PATCO trains will continue to operate across the bridge Saturday, with enhanced service instituted to allow trains to run every 15 minutes throughout the bridge celebration.

How to get there

For those looking to get to the Camden side’s main party area, DRPA officials advise using the PATCO option from Philadelphia, which can get you to Camden’s City Hall station nearby.

There will also be a complimentary shuttle service operating continuously throughout the event. One shuttle route runs between the Camden City Hall station and the event entrance, and another from PATCO’s Franklin Square Station at 7th and Race Streets in Philly to the event site in Camden, DRPA spokesperson Mike Williams said.

And, of course, from Philly, you could just get to the Jersey side by walking across the bridge. Starting from the main event area in Camden is not required

“The bridge walk is really the centerpiece of the celebration, and we hope attendees take advantage of this rare opportunity,” Williams said.

Bikes are permitted on the roadway but are not permitted in the main party area.

For those who plan on driving, parking areas will be available on the Jersey side. They include free lots at Rutgers University, on-street metered parking, and a paid parking garage at Camden Technology Center, DRPA said.

What if it rains?

Saturday’s event will go on rain or shine, and there is no rain date, Williams said.

Officials had announced a rain date of July 12, but the event logistics made a rain date impractical, Williams said.

Things to do

In addition to the food trucks and vendors, the event will feature dance performances and special guests.

A “Winged Victory” statue, one of four that originally sat atop the bridge at its opening in 1926, will also be on display.

A family fun zone will offer an inflatable obstacle course and oversized yard games, as well as face painting and other entertainment, organizers said. And attendees will also be able to get up-close views of the vehicles that work on the bridge, such as a barrier mover known as a “zipper machine,” as well as front-end loaders, and dump trucks.

July 9, 2026