Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes

Tag: Gloucester County

  • Where to watch Fourth of July fireworks in Philly, the suburbs, South Jersey, and the Shore

    Where to watch Fourth of July fireworks in Philly, the suburbs, South Jersey, and the Shore

    This Fourth of July will be unlike any in recent memory. As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, Philadelphia and the surrounding region are packed with celebrations — and fireworks displays. From the city and suburbs to South Jersey and the Shore, there are dozens of opportunities to catch a show.

    Whether you’re staying in Philadelphia, heading to the suburbs, or spending the holiday down the Shore, here’s where to find Fourth of July fireworks across the region.

    Fireworks in Philadelphia

    Fireworks after the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park on July 2, 2025.

    Fireworks in Bucks County

    Fireworks in Chester County

    Fireworks in Delaware County

    Fireworks in Montgomery County

    Fireworks in Allentown

    Fireworks in South Jersey

    A view of Atlantic City’s fireworks from the Marina. (Courtesy of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority)

    Fireworks at the Jersey Shore

  • Two Deptford High School students created a Jalyx Hunt fan account. Then he showed up at their graduation.

    Two Deptford High School students created a Jalyx Hunt fan account. Then he showed up at their graduation.

    Following the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX win, Deptford High School students Hunter Thomas and Dominic Alia made an Instagram fan page for then-rookie edge rusher Jalyx Hunt, who played a key role in wrecking Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ night.

    Just over a year later, Hunt showed up to the high school graduation of the “Jalyx Hunt enthusiasts.”

    On Thursday, while waiting to receive his diploma, Thomas received a text from his mother. Hunt, whom Thomas invited, was sitting in the away stands of Deptford’s football stadium. He waved to the Eagle, who signaled right back at Thomas and his friend, Antoine Sims.

    “After that, my head starts spinning,” Thomas told The Inquirer. “There’s no freaking way that he actually came.”

    Thomas first met Hunt at last year’s Eagles Autism Challenge. There, he showed the edge rusher the fan page called @jalyxhunt_enthusiast. Hunt loved it and followed the account back. Since then, Thomas and Alia have exchanged direct messages with Hunt, wishing him happy birthday and sending him messages throughout the season.

    Before the Eagles’ final regular-season game this past season, a 24-17 loss to the Washington Commanders, Hunt met Thomas and Alia above the tunnel to sign Thomas’ jersey. “Always love,” Hunt, who recognized the pair, signed. “Go birds!”

    When graduation came around, Thomas had an extra ticket, so he thought to text his favorite player first. To his surprise, Hunt responded that he would be able to come. Immediately, Thomas employed his sister to decorate his graduation cap, complete with Hunt’s No. 58 and a throwback Eagles logo.

    The biggest Eagles questions after offseason workouts

    In a post to his Instagram story on Thursday, Hunt shared a photo of his view from the Deptford stands. “I’m locked,” he wrote, tagging the fan account which now sits at roughly 1,000 followers.

    “I get my diploma, and my mom, because she’s a teacher, she gives it to me,” Thomas said. “I hug her, and when I walk back to my seat, I point out to Jalyx. He points back. When I did it, I was just thinking, ‘I got to show him some love.’”

    Jalyx Hunt with Hunter Thomas at Thomas’ high school graduation.

    After all his classmates’ names were called and his cap was thrown, Thomas made his way over to Hunt, who was now sitting with Thomas’ father. Hunt caught up with Thomas, telling him that he was cheering loudly when Thomas received his diploma. Eventually, Thomas found Alia on the field and the three posed for photographs.

    “There’s a lot of NFL players with all this clout, and their heads are so big, and then he’s just the most down-to-earth [person],” Thomas said. “He’s like, ‘Yes I play football, but I’m still a normal guy at the end of the day.’

    “He’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life. Me and Dom said, after we were like, ‘This is like a memory that we’re going to have forever.’”

  • Building explosion in Gloucester County leaves four critically injured

    Building explosion in Gloucester County leaves four critically injured

    At least four people were critically injured after a large explosion destroyed a commercial production building Wednesday afternoon in Logan Township, N.J.

    Gloucester County Emergency Management quickly asked people within a two-mile radius of the explosion at 617 Heron Dr. to shelter in place, but the request was later lifted. About 7,200 people live within two miles of the explosion.

    “It was a terrible tragedy,” Logan Township Police Chief Joseph Flatley said at an evening news conference.

    However, he added: “The community is safe. There are no ongoing hazards.”

    The explosion occurred just after 2:35 p.m. and firefighters who were first on the scene said at least two people had been severely burned, and the building had collapsed with a ruptured propane tank still burning.

    Map of building explosion in Logan Twp., Gloucester County.

    Cooper University Hospital received three patients, said Cooper spokesperson Wendy A. Marano.

    Rebecca Forand, spokesperson for the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, said a total of four people were hospitalized in critical condition. A fifth person in a neighboring building experienced a medical incident, Forand said.

    It was unclear how many people were in the building, but “as far as we know, the owners of the business have told us that they believe everyone is accounted,” Forand said.

    “We are assisting in the investigation. It does not look like there’s any criminal activity,” she added.

    A large amount of propane was being stored on the facility’s premises, which she said was used in the production processes of the company that used the building, called Savita Naturals. The company describes itself on its website as a “provider of specialty oil extractions and related services.”

    The cause of the explosion, however, remains under investigation. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection was notified of the situation, and officials from the Bureau of Emergency Response were heading to the scene, Forand noted.

    “Fire and HazMat Units remain on location monitoring a burn off of additional fuel product stored on-site and continue to conduct air monitoring in the community,” Gloucester County Emergency Management said on social media. 

    <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F920637570347255%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=0" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>

    A worker in a nearby business described the shock of the first large explosion.

    “I thought a bomb hit us,” said the worker, who asked not to be identified because his employer had not authorized him to speak to a reporter.

    He and his fellow employees were evacuated and saw the building with the explosion had been destroyed and a wall of the neighboring building had been knocked down.

    The worker said he saw a man whose clothes were on fire “rolling on the ground.” The man ripped his shirt off while other people pulled his pants off. The man then got up wearing only his underwear. His injuries didn’t appear to be serious, the worker said.

    Residents across the region said the explosion shook their houses. At Fish2Coral, a fish and aquatic supply shop in Swedesboro, things fell off the shelves, alarms went off, and part of the interior ceiling collapsed.

    “We didn’t know where it came from,” said store manager Brian Makowski. “It felt like something hit our building.”

    Fish2Coral is located only half a mile from the explosion site. “If I was outside, it probably would’ve knocked me over,” he said.

    Propane is a highly flammable gas that can decrease the amount of oxygen in the air in high concentrations, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. It is naturally colorless and odorless, but typically has an odorant added to aid in detection. Symptoms of airborne exposure may include headache and dizziness, as well as fainting, and contact with it in its liquefied gas form is capable of causing frostbite.

    The company notes online that it was founded about 35 years ago as a processor in the cocoa and chocolate industry, but has since expanded to include a range of products. Savita also indicates online that “production of cocoa butter remains our core business.”

    Among the other products for which Savita says it provides services is CBD, or cannabidiol, a non-intoxicating compound found in hemp and marijuana that has risen in prominence in recent years. An article on the company’s website from 2019 indicates that flammable solvents like butane, propane, and ethanol are popular choices in cannabis-related extractions.

    Savita notes online that propane has been its “solvent of choice” for botanical extractions since 1996, as it “produces the highest yields at intermediate cost without sacrificing quality.”

    — Staff writer Emily Bloch contributed to this article.

  • Former Delsea Regional High student alleges sexual abuse by math teacher in the 1980s

    Former Delsea Regional High student alleges sexual abuse by math teacher in the 1980s

    A former Delsea Regional High School student has accused a math teacher of sexually abusing him years ago and is suing the South Jersey school system for failing to protect him.

    A lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Gloucester County on Friday alleges the former student was subjected to predatory conduct and sexual abuse by former teacher Cheryl Cousin in the 1980s.

    According to court documents, the alleged abuse occurred when the student, David Reeves, was a junior and senior and not yet 18. Cousin was a math teacher in the district, but he was not her student, the lawsuit said.

    Attorney Jeffrey P. Fritz said Cousin groomed Reeves for abuse using her position of power and trust, and district employees who knew or should have known about the abuse failed to stop it.

    “Schools have both a legal and moral obligation to protect children entrusted to their care,” Fritz said in a statement. “When school officials become aware of suspected abuse, the law requires immediate reporting to authorities and decisive action which didn’t occur here.”

    Cousin, reached for comment Monday, said she was stunned by the allegations. She has retired from the district and is not defendant in the lawsuit, though she is named in the complaint.

    “I think I’m in shock right now. I guess I better call a lawyer,” she said, declining further comment.

    Delsea Regional Superintendent Fran Ciolciola did not respond to email and voicemail messages. The school board’s solicitor, Frank P. Cavallo Jr., said the district had not received a copy of the lawsuit Monday and declined to comment.

    Winslow Township school district settles sexual abuse lawsuit against a teacher for $6 million

    Reeves, 55, said he decided to use his name in the case to encourage other child sex abuse victims, especially male victims, to come forward. (The Inquirer does not identify victims in sexual assault cases without their consent).

    The alleged sexual assault occurred between the 1987-88 and 1988-89 school years, Fritz said. There were at least 20 alleged assaults at various locations, the lawsuit alleges.

    David Reeves is shown in his Delsea Regional High School senior year photo.

    Reeves, who is now a health and physical education teacher in Camden public school schools, said in an interview he was afraid to come forward until now.

    “I have nothing to be embarrassed about,” Reeves said. “I am a victim who is standing up and putting my name on it.”

    They’re seeking justice under a new N.J. law. Meet the Philly-area lawyers who are representing hundreds of child sex abuse cases.

    Married and the father of two, Reeves said the alleged abuse began his junior year when a fellow basketball team member told him that Cousin liked him and gave him her number. Cousin was the girls’ cheerleading coach, he said.

    Reeves said he visited Cousin’s apartment and the two began a sexual relationship that continued into his senior year. Cousin purchased two pairs of Air Jordan sneakers for him and let him drive her Camaro, he said.

    Reeves said the relationship was well-known in the school among students and teachers. Girls refused to date him because they believed he was involved with Cousin, he said.

    “It couldn’t have been any more well-known,” Reeves said.

    According to the lawsuit, the then-school Principal Frank Borelli called Reeves to the office to question him about their suspicions. Reeves said he didn’t want to cause problems for Cousin so he denied that he was involved with her.

    “I was a child. I was scared to death,” he said.

    Borelli later became the district’s longtime superintendent and currently serves on the school board. He is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, but the school board is listed as a defendant. Borelli did not respond to a message seeking comment.

    The lawsuit also alleges that the district failed to make mandatory reports of suspected abuse to the state’s child welfare agency, according to the complaint.

    It was filed under the 2019 New Jersey Child Victims Act, which extended the statute of limitations to allow child sex abuse victims to sue their abusers and the institutions that protected them until they turn 55. Reeves turned 55 Saturday.

    The law made it easier for child sexual abuse victims to seek justice in civil court. Thousands of cases have since been filed, many of them involving public and private schools and the Roman Catholic Church in New Jersey.

    Experts say victims of sexual abuse often struggle to disclose the trauma they experienced until an older age, often between 40 and 55.

    Hear what Salema Hicks Robinson has to say about the civil sex abuse lawsuit she filed, what she’s lost and how she’s triumphed

    Reeves said his wife of 16 years, Stacy, encouraged him to come forward with his allegations. He said he has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and has battled drug and alcohol addiction.

    He wants to advocate for other victims, especially boys. It is estimated that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys experience some form of sexual abuse before age 18, according to Child USA, a Philadelphia-based children’s rights advocacy group.

    “It does not matter if I am male. I was a kid,” Reeves said. “It has affected me a long time.”

  • Boyd Sands, Hall of Fame educator and retired executive director of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, has died at 88

    Boyd Sands, Hall of Fame educator and retired executive director of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, has died at 88

    Boyd Sands, 88, formerly of Glassboro, Gloucester County, retired teacher, coach, principal, and superintendent of the Delsea Regional School District, and Hall of Fame former executive director of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, died Saturday, Jan. 17, of complications from a stroke at Cape Canaveral Hospital in Florida.

    An All-Star football player in high school and college, and a longtime baseball umpire and basketball referee, Mr. Sands directed the NJSIAA from 1993 to his retirement in 2006. He and the association’s executive committee organized hundreds of statewide championship playoff tournaments, hired thousands of game officials, and enforced eligibility and sportsmanship rules for high school athletes in more than 30 sports at more than 400 public and private high schools.

    He was an expert on all kinds of rules and a champion of the state’s expanded football playoff format and more programs for girls. He oversaw ever-changing conference alignments and supervised the association’s multimillion dollar budget.

    He attracted dozens of corporate sponsorships to fund new initiatives regarding improved officiating, violence at sports events, and drug education. He forged working relationships with the state’s Sports and Exposition Authority, Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, and other organizations.

    Overall, Mr. Sands served more than three decades as a member of the NJSIAA advisory committee and executive committee, and executive director. In an online tribute, former colleagues there called him “a respected leader in education and sport. A consummate professional.”

    Steve Timko, his successor as executive director, told the Times of Trenton in 2005: “He has taken the association to the next level.” In 2003, Mr. Sands told the Record of Hackensack: “I really just enjoy high school athletics.”

    He joined Delsea in 1966 as assistant principal, was promoted to principal, and served as district superintendent from 1971 to 1994. Before school, he was known to greet students as they exited the buses in the morning. After school, he handed out programs at events, prowled the sidelines at Delsea, and officiated games at other high schools.

    He taught social studies and coached football for six years at two high schools in North Jersey before going to Delsea. He oversaw the building of the district’s middle school in the 1970s, and colleagues named the entrance road leading to the new building after him.

    The Star-Ledger of Newark featured Mr. Sands when he announced his retirement from the NJSIAA in 2005.

    “His influence lives on in the students he inspired, the educators he mentored, and the community he helped shape,” Delsea superintendent Fran Ciociola said in a tribute.

    Mr. Sands was onetime president of the Camden County chapter of the New Jersey Baseball Umpires Association. He won achievement awards from the NJSIAA, the National Federation of Interscholastic Athletic Officials, and the Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference.

    He was an executive committee member of the National Federation of State High School Associations and lifetime member of the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials. “His spirit, kindness, and dedication will be remembered always,” colleagues at the IAABO said in a tribute.

    Mr. Sands was inducted into the Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame in 1989, the NJSIAA Hall of Fame in 2007, and the South Jersey Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009. He attended many continuing education classes and earned certifications at Rowan, Rutgers, and Seton Hall Universities, and elsewhere.

    Mr. Sands liked nothing more than attending a football game.

    He never changed his signature flattop crew cut. “Bear of a man, great guy,” a former student said in a Facebook tribute. A friend said online: “Boyd was a wonderful man and terrific mentor.”

    Boyd August Sands was born Feb. 16, 1937, in Newark, N.J. He played football and basketball in high school, and earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Colby College in Maine and a master’s degree in administration at what is now Kean University in New Jersey.

    He met Frances Curto at a New Year’s Eve party, and they married in 1958. They lived in North Jersey, moved to Glassboro when he worked at Delsea, and had daughters Susan, Nancy, Karen, and Lori, and a son, Michael. His son died earlier.

    Mr. Sands studied history and enjoyed road trips to family reunions in Florida and stops at historical sites along the way. He loved his dogs, followed the Eagles and Phillies closely, and was sure to be greeted by former students and old colleagues whenever the family went out.

    Mr. Sands (right) became friendly with baseball star Bryce Harper when he worked at the Washington Nationals’ spring training complex in Florida.

    He and his wife moved to Cape Canaveral in 2006, and he helped run spring training for the Washington Nationals baseball team and worked security for a cruise line. He had bypass surgery in 2015.

    “My father was a man who found joy in two of life’s greatest gifts: family and sports,” said his daughter Nancy. “My dad was a man who always showed up and pushed us hard to do our best.”

    Survivors give advice about mourning their loved ones, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer

    His daughter Susan said: “He saw everyone as a person.”

    Nearly everyone has a memorable umpiring story about Mr. Sands, like the time he got drilled by a line drive down the first base line. In 1994, he told The Inquirer that he enjoyed officiating high school baseball and basketball games more than anything.

    “It was my hobby and outlet,” he said. “I tried golf, and I figured I’d rather get hit by a hard ball.”

    Mr. Sands and his wife, Frances, married in 1958.

    In addition to his wife and daughters, Mr. Sands is survived by 16 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, a brother, and other relatives. A brother died earlier.

    Services were held earlier.

    Donations in his name may be made to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Animal Care Center, 5100 W. Eau Gallie Blvd., Melbourne, Fla. 32934; and the Church of Our Saviour, 5301 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach, Fla. 32931.

    Mr. Sands enjoyed time with his dogs.
  • Gov. Mikie Sherrill says she’s ‘never seen anything’ like this Kelce brothers-inspired treat made by a South Jersey bakery

    Gov. Mikie Sherrill says she’s ‘never seen anything’ like this Kelce brothers-inspired treat made by a South Jersey bakery

    When New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill walked into Two Sweet Boutique in Deptford, she couldn’t help but notice photos of the Kelce brothers taped inside the bakery glass.

    Below the sign were gigantic mounds of Reese’s Puffs dipped in chocolate and drizzled with peanut butter — coined the Kelce Kluster and named after retired Eagles legend Jason Kelce and his brother, Travis Kelce, who plays tight end for Kansas City Chiefs and is engaged to pop superstar Taylor Swift.

    “I’ve never seen anything like that,” said the Democratic governor, who took office last month. “It looks fantastic.”

    She directed her staffer to add one of the domes to her bakery haul. She said the sweet treat will go to her two hungry teenagers at home.

    New Jersey football fandom is often divided by New York Giants fans in the North and Eagles fans in the South, but Sherrill, who grew up in Virginia before settling in North Jersey, roots for the New York Jets.

    But her purchase during the South Jersey stop may appeal to Eagles fans, who watched Jason Kelce play center for 13 seasons and emerge as a fan favorite after his boisterous victory speech following the team’s first Super Bowl win in 2018.

    Rocco Centrone, who owns the Deptford business with his wife and daughter, said the idea of the Kelce Kluster struck him when he was listening to the brothers’ podcast and they agreed on Reese’s Puffs as their favorite cereal.

    Gov. Mikie Sherrill speaks to reporters in front of the Kelce Klusters at Two Sweet Boutique in Deptford.

    The Centrones and their supporters took to social media and successfully got the football stars’ attention. The Kelce brothers have chatted about the treat on their podcast New Heights, drawing customers nationwide to the small Gloucester County business.

    “They look delicious, I can’t believe this isn’t a thing,” Jason Kelce said on a 2023 episode. “These are outstanding. Well, I guess this is a thing now.”

    “Jason, get your a— over to Deptford,” Travis Kelce told his brother, who lives in the Philadelphia suburbs, on the podcast.

    Reese’s grandson accuses Hershey of degrading chocolate, making it ‘not edible.’ Is he right?

    The brothers have since launched their own cereal with Reese’s Puffs.

    Dressed in Mummers attire, Eagles center Jason Kelce pauses during his colorful speech on the Art Museum steps in 2018 at the Super Bowl victory parade.

    The label on the treat during the governor’s visit spelled the treat name as “Kelse Clusters,” but an employee assured The Inquirer that the misspelling was just an error and not the official title.

    Sherrill visited the South Jersey bakery on Friday to discuss her “Save You Time and Money Agenda,” though the conversation largely focused on learning about the business and its sweet treats.

    Sherrill said she visited the bakery because “small businesses really are the heart of our communities.”

    “I find that everywhere I go with small businesses, they truly are the lifeblood,” she said. “So I want to make sure, as governor, I’m making it easier for people who are running these businesses, saving them time and money, cutting through red tape and bureaucracy, and that is a cornerstone to me.”

    Gov. Mikie Sherrill says new state taxes on ICE detention centers in N.J. are ‘on the table’
  • Fletcher Cox’s $1.5 million Mullica Hill home is on the market

    Fletcher Cox’s $1.5 million Mullica Hill home is on the market

    The South Jersey home of Eagles great Fletcher Cox is on the market for $1.5 million.

    The dominant defensive tackle, who retired in 2024 after 12 seasons with the Birds, lived in the nearly 6,000-square-foot Mullica Hill home for most of his career.

    “It’s got him all over it,” said Lynne Stamm, a sales associate with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, Realtors. “He put his heart and soul into the house as a young kid” who moved into the property when he was in his early 20s.

    Cox, a Mississippi native, bought the house for $550,000 in 2014, according to Gloucester County property records.

    Fletcher Cox’s design touches are seen throughout his Mullica Hill home, said the listing agent. They include this $15,000 chandelier in the foyer.

    Since then, Cox, now 35, has regularly updated the home, Stamm said. He installed a $15,000 chandelier in the foyer and created “a complete resort area” in the backyard with a dark-finish pool, a built-in bar, and an outdoor kitchen with a pizza oven.

    The home has four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and two half bathrooms.

    The first floor features a marble foyer, gourmet kitchen, comfortable living areas, and two-story windows that Stamm said let in abundant natural light.

    The first floor of Fletcher Cox’s $1.5 million Mullica Hill home features two-story windows that let in abundant natural light.

    On the second floor, the bedrooms include a large primary suite and a new Jack-and-Jill suite.

    The basement, referred to in the listing as an “entertainment hub,” could be outfitted as a gym, home theater, and game room, with a pool table included as part of the sale. The house also has an epoxy-finished three-car garage.

    With its open floor plan and indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, Stamm said the home would be ideal for a buyer “who really likes high-end entertaining.”

    The property is also turnkey, she said, due to all the upgrades Cox made over the years.

    Fletcher Cox’s Mullica Hill home includes an epoxy-finished three-car garage.

    He loved the house so much that he was “reluctant” to sell, Stamm said. But the agent said Cox is excited about his new home, just a few miles away and nearly double the size, with an expansive pole barn for his race cars. Cox has owned a drag-racing team for about a decade and started driving in retirement.

    His Mullica Hill home made headlines in 2019 when a man tried to break in with a baseball bat in search of his ex-girlfriend. Cox called 911 and told an operator that he was armed with a shotgun. The assailant fled but was later arrested and indicted on charges related to the incident, according to New Jersey court records.

  • 1,100 dead or sick geese in N.J. spark bird flu warning, prompt lake’s closure

    1,100 dead or sick geese in N.J. spark bird flu warning, prompt lake’s closure

    At least 1,100 dead or sick birds, mostly Canada geese, have been reported across New Jersey in an outbreak that started on Valentine’s Day, according to state officials.

    At least 50 geese have died at Alcyon Lake in Pitman, Gloucester County. Officials have closed the lake and the adjoining Betty Park out of precaution.

    The fish and wildlife division within the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are tracking them as suspected cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1), or bird flu.

    Bird flu is not new. But it began to spread in the U.S. in January 2022 and has infected wild and domestic birds in every state.

    While bird flu can infect humans, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said it is primarily a threat to animals and poses little risk to the public.

    State officials say large numbers of dead geese may be concentrated in areas where birds gather to look for open water as ice melts. They said that the 1,100 dead or sick wild birds were reported between Saturday and Monday.

    Where have dead geese been found?

    The DEP says it has received reports of dead Canada geese in South Jersey, including in Hainesport, Burlington County; Sicklerville, Camden County; and Pitman.

    Annmarie Ruiz, Gloucester County’s health officer, said the dead geese were noticed in Pitman on Tuesday. She said that there were probably more than 50 at Alcyon Lake, but that there were reports of dead geese elsewhere in the municipality.

    “Right now, we have to presume that it is bird flu based on the signs the birds were exhibiting,” Ruiz said.

    The New Jersey Department of Agriculture took some of the birds for testing. The results could take weeks, she said.

    “Right now, we’re just erring on the side of caution,” Ruiz said.

    Ruiz said workers use face shields and gloves when handling the birds, which are triple-bagged before being disposed.

    She said people can report sick or dead wild birds to Gloucester County animal control at 856-881-2828 or the DEP at 877-927-6337.

    A lifeless bird lays on the ice at Alcyon Lake in Pitman, N.J. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. Two adjacent parks, Betty Park (in background) and Alcyon Park (not in photo) are closed as a result of the mysterious birds deaths.

    Caryelle Lasher, Camden County’s health officer, said there have been only a small number of reports of dead birds in the county.

    Those were concentrated in the lake off Mullen Drive in the Sicklerville section of Gloucester Township, she said.

    Overall, however, the county has not seen a spike in reports, she said.

    Ruiz and Lasher — as well as state officials — stress that people should not touch sick or dead wildlife of any kind. And they should keep pets away.

    Even though the risk is low, the potential for human infection exists.

    The DEP also has an online form to report sick or dead birds.

    H5N1 is a respiratory bird disease caused by influenza A viruses. Wild birds, such as ducks, gulls, and shorebirds, can carry and spread these viruses but may show no signs of illness, according to the DEP.

    The disease can kill domestic poultry such as chickens. Typical symptoms include diarrhea, nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing, and incoordination.

    It continues to infect not only birds, but also mammals.

    Tips to prevent infection:

    • Do not touch sick or dying animals, or bring them into your home.
    • Keep pets away from them, as well as away from droppings.
    • Wash hands frequently if you are near wildlife.
    • Do not eat undercooked eggs, poultry, or beef.
    • Prevent cross-contamination between cooked and raw food.
    • Avoid unpasteurized milk or cheese.
  • Gloucester County warehouse project has been undermined by a ‘rogue’ employee and rival firm, lawsuit says

    Gloucester County warehouse project has been undermined by a ‘rogue’ employee and rival firm, lawsuit says

    The developer behind a massive mixed-use project in South Jersey has filed a lawsuit accusing a “rogue” employee of derailing municipal approvals and plotting to steer the property to Rowan University and a rival firm.

    For more than two years, Seth Gerszberg and his Englewood, N.J.-based firm Active Acquisitions have been pursuing a development at the intersection of Route 322 and Route 55 in Gloucester County including proposals for 10 warehouses, a wholesale retail club, a hotel, and 117 single-family homes.

    An affiliate of Gerszberg’s firm agreed to buy the property — totaling 429 acres, about 29 times the footprint of Lincoln Financial Field — in May 2023 for $23 million from Madison Richwood Village LLC, the suit says.

    But the government approval process hit a snag in recent months, the suit alleges, as Gerszberg’s project manager, Sean Earlen — a land-use consultant, former mayor of Lumberton, and chair of the Burlington County GOP — “leveraged his close personal relationship” with Harrison Township’s mayor, Republican Adam Wingate, “to sow doubt within the township” about the viability of the development.

    Yearslong saga

    It’s the latest twist in a development saga that dates to 2008, when plans for a walkable town center in Harrison’s Richwood section were unveiled, including talk of a new elementary school and liquor licenses for restaurants in what had been a dry town.

    But development efforts went nowhere, and the new push for warehouses — in a region that’s added tens of millions of square feet of warehousing space in recent years to meet demand for online shopping — has faced some resistance from residents in the affluent rural town of 14,000.

    Now those plans could be in question.

    According to the suit, Earlen has been pushing the current property owner, Madison Richwood, to do a deal with Rowan and Ohio-based Fairmount Properties LLC, which has been pursuing a “wellness district” at the university featuring proposals for a headquarters for Inspira Health, a hotel, as well as shops and restaurants.

    Rowan University in Glassboro.

    At some point last year Rowan negotiated a deal with Madison Richwood to buy the property for $31 million, plus another $10 million in 2026, the complaint says, in an effort to “fulfill the university’s vision for a comprehensive plan at the Route 55/Route 322 interchange.”

    As the township’s confidence in the warehouse project has eroded, the suit alleges, a neighboring property owner filed a lawsuit in October challenging Active’s government approvals.

    The developer — which has industrial and residential projects across New Jersey — has sunk roughly $4 million to obtain the necessary approvals for the project and $7 million in “consultant and development expenses,” according to court records.

    Gerszberg, who before his work in real estate was cofounder and president of hip-hop fashion brand Marc Ecko Enterprises, didn’t respond to requests for comment.

    What does Rowan say?

    The most recent suit, filed this month in Bergen County Superior Court by Active affiliate ActiveRWHA Property LLC, names Earlen and Fairmount Properties as defendants. It alleges interference with contractual rights, misappropriation of trade secrets, and defamation, among other counts.

    Representatives for Fairmount and Rowan — a public research institution that isn’t a party to the suit — did not directly answer questions about whether they intend to buy the property. Neither Earlen nor Wingate — who took office as mayor last year — responded to requests for comment.

    Randy Ruttenberg, a Fairmount principal, said the suit is “completely without merit” and called it an “ill-advised attempt to disrupt the very straightforward development process we continue to diligently pursue for the benefit of the entire region.”

    “Fairmount Properties is focused fiercely on executing their own world-class development, and no matter what obstacle is placed in our path, we will not be distracted, bullied or deterred,” he said in a statement.

    Joe Cardona, a spokesperson for Rowan, said it would be inappropriate to comment on pending litigation. “Rowan remains focused on its academic mission and on conducting all institutional planning activities responsibly and in accordance with applicable laws and governance standards,” he said in an email.

    Madison Richwood affiliate Madison Marquette — a Washington, D.C.-based real estate investment and operating company — said in court papers that Gerszberg’s concern about a sale to Rowan is “without merit.”

    Madison Marquette “will not sell the property, as defined in the [purchase and sale agreement], to Rowan, Fairmount, or any other entity while the PSA is in full force and effect,” firm president and managing principal William Sudow said in a court filing in a related case that has since been resolved.

  • How much snow, and when will it begin snowing in the Philadelphia region?

    How much snow, and when will it begin snowing in the Philadelphia region?

    Philadelphia is expected to see its most significant winter storm in years this weekend, with nearly a foot of snow and ice expected from a formidable low-pressure system sweeping across the eastern United States.

    Official National Weather Service forecasts say six to 18 inches of snow is possible across most of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia as the storm pushes through the region Saturday night to early Monday morning. More than 21 states are expected to experience at least moderate impacts from the storm, the weather service said.

    Forecasters said that mixing with sleet and freezing rain could hold down overall snow totals across Philadelphia and South Jersey, but the storm is likely to hinder if not halt most travel on Sunday, regardless.

    The National Weather Service puts out forecasts for every few square miles of land in the United States four times a day through a system called the National Digital Forecast Database.

    The maps below display that data. Use it to find how much snow is expected anywhere in the eastern United States. It will show the most recent forecast for the next three days.

    (function () {window.addEventListener(‘message’, function (e) { var message = e.data; var els = document.querySelectorAll(‘iframe[src*=”‘ + message.id + ‘”]’); els.forEach(function(el) { el.style.height = message.height + ‘px’; }); }, false); })();

    A considerable amount of freezing rain and sleet may also fall during the storm, leading to icing concerns. The map below displays the forecast for ice accumulation, or accretion, over the next three days.

    (function () {window.addEventListener(‘message’, function (e) { var message = e.data; var els = document.querySelectorAll(‘iframe[src*=”‘ + message.id + ‘”]’); els.forEach(function(el) { el.style.height = message.height + ‘px’; }); }, false); })();