Latest news with #BurlingtonCountyTimes
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Spirit Halloween canceled its annual party in Egg Harbor Township for 2025
Spirit Halloween has delivered horrifying news to its most ardent customers, canceling a celebration that draws thousands of people to launch its spooky season. The Egg Harbor Township firm blamed "international disruptions and supply chain challenges" for the demise of this year's event. It said the party's expected to return in 2026. "In the meantime, Spirit Halloween is still very much alive, with over 1,500 stores on track to open;" the company said in a recent Instagram post. Stores are to begin opening in mid-August. Halloween horror: South Jersey delivers on dreadful decorations Last year's event, which took place Aug. 1 and was dubbed the Carnevil, drew a large crowd to the company's flagship store in an Egg Harbor Township shopping center. It was held for the third straight year "to unveil our best costumes, accessories and decor," Spirit Halloween said in a statement promoting the 2024 party. The free event included games, prizes and entertainment. It offered an "exclusive" swag bag to the first 200 guests after 7 a.m., then distributed numbered lanyards allowing access for 2,500 visitors after the store's ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m. Other customers were allowed into the store on a first-come, first-served basis until 8 p.m. As a sign of its turnout, last year's party also offered on-site restrooms, a hydration station and overflow parking. Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@ This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: The event was called the Carnevil in 2024 and took place Aug. 1
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfire burning off Raritan Avenue, Old Atsion Road in Wharton State Forest in Waterford
The state Forest Fire Service on Sunday morning reported making "significant" progress against a large wildfire burning in Waterford Township. The blaze. which forced the evacuation of two campgrounds, was 50% contained after spreading across 1,750 acres of Wharton State Forest, the agency said at approximately 8 a.m. It first reported the blaze, called the California Branch Wildfire, in the area of Raritan Avenue and Old Atsion Road on Saturday afternoon. Both roads were closed inside the forest, as was Goshen Bridge Road. The Atsion and Goshen Pond campgrounds were evacuated. Franklin fire:: Blaze in forest scorches 190 acres The agency said it was fighting the blaze with ground crews, fire engines and bulldozers. It reported no injuries or damage to private property. The fire's cause was under investigation. (This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccurate headline.) Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@ This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: California Branch Wildfire burns in Wharton State Forest in Waterford
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Egg Harbor Township man faces prison term for fatal overdoses of teens 14, 17 years old
A South Jersey man has received a 15-year prison term for selling drugs that caused fatal overdoses for two teenagers. Elias Santiago, 27, of Egg Harbor Township provided pills that contained fentanyl and methamphetamine to a 17-year-old buyer in August 2022, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office said. But the pills, purchased in Sea Isle City, were disguised to look like the prescription painkiller Percocet, the agency said. Contraband charge: Lawyer accused of prison smuggling scheme. The buyer and a 14-year-old boy fatally overdosed the next day at the 17-year-old's home in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Autopsies found that the teens had died of fentanyl ingestion. 'This case highlights the tragic consequences when callous drug dealers sell their dangerous products to unsuspecting users, who don't even know what they're really getting," Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a statement Thursday. "It only takes a small amount of the wrong illegal drug to result in a tragedy like this." Additional pills found in a backpack near the overdose victims were found to contain fentanyl and methamphetamine, the statement said. Detectives used the drug buyer's cellphone to track the purchase to Santiago. Police also alleged that Santiago operated a group on an encrypted messaging platform that displayed pictures, videos and prices of illegal drugs. A search of Santiago's home found counterfeit pills and packaging material such as the items found in the 17-year-old's backpack. Santiago admitted guilt in December 2024 to two counts of strict liability drug-induced death. The plea included an admission that the pills sold by Santiago had caused the teens' deaths. Superior Court Judge Jeffrey J. Waldman on March 10 imposed a 15-year term for each death, with the sentences to run simultaneously. Santiago is to serve almost 13 years before he's eligible for parole. Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@ This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: AG: Elias Santiago sold fentanyl and meth in pills resembling Percocet
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Job openings: Wawa wants to hire for Jersey Shore stores
Wawa has launched a campaign to find seasonal workers for stores along the Jersey Shore. The convenience store operator on Tuesday said it needs almost 1,000 workers for 60 vacation-area stores, most of them in South Jersey. The chain also is hiring for stores near beaches in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. This demand also extends to one store in North Carolina, a new market for Wawa. The firm said it expects to add workers through the summer season. Full- and part-time jobs offer "competitive compensation," Wawa said in a statement. Eligible workers can receive "a comprehensive package of financial and personal benefits that include health and wellness benefits, tuition reimbursement and a 401(k) with matching. Wawa also said its around-the-clock operations offer "flexibility" to workers, "providing the chance to work hard while also enjoying time at the beach/shore." Benefits include a free Shorti hoagie with every shift "and an associate food menu with deeply discounted food items," the company said. 'It's never too early to start planning for summer and that includes lining up seasonal work," Maria Kalogredis, Wawa's chief people officer, said in a statement. Jobseekers can apply online here, Jim Walsh is a senior reporter at the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@ This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Wawa needs summer workers for stores along Jersey Shore
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Guaranteed to strengthen our community': Camden County library system adds social worker
Camden County's library system has hired a social worker to provide free support to residents. The full-time employee is to offer help with multiple concerns, including food, housing, employment and financial needs. Other confidential services are to address health care and insurance needs, mental health and counseling referrals, and senior resources. Social worker T'Keyah Hose is to travel to all library branches monthly. Nonprofit faces loss: Forrmer employee accused of massive theft "T'Keyah would like to keep initial appointments to 45 minutes," said Molly Shelly, a county spokesperson. "If a resident needs more time, the appointment may be extended or if there is a person waiting to meet with her, an additional appointment will be set up." County Commissioner Virginia Betteridge said the new service 'is guaranteed to strengthen our community. The library is so much more than just a place to check out books, it is a pillar of community support." For an appointment, call 856-633-6216 or email socialworker@ The Voorhees-based system has libraries in Bellmawr, Camden, Gloucester Township, Haddon Township, Merchantville and Waterford. Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@ This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Camden County's library system hires social worker.
