Atlantic County's efforts to build a second major industry around aviation and aerospace technology are moving forward, with additional space being prepared for a prospective tenant at the National Aerospace Research and Technology Park.Atlantic County Board of Commissioners Chairman John Risley said during an October 29 appearance on Klein Time with Dan Klein on WOND that the county's expanding aerospace research complex is attracting continued interest from companies seeking to locate near the Federal Aviation Administration's William J. Hughes Technical Center.

As Atlantic City Public Schools celebrates the groundbreaking of its new administration building, a review of official school district records reveals a $5.6 million difference between the amount identified for the project in the district's advertised budget and the construction contract presented to the Board of Education in September. SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com reports the district's publicly advertised 2026-27 budget identifies $21.5 million for construction of a new administration building.However, a September 30 special Board of Education meeting agenda calls for awarding a $27,132,590 construction contract to T.N. Ward Company of Atlantic City.The proposed contract is $5,632,590 higher than the amount identified for the building in the April budget, a difference of approximately 26.2%.

Atlantic County Clerk Joe Giralo says technological improvements and changes in office operations have dramatically reduced the time required to record property documents, turning what he described as an 18-month backlog into a process that now takes approximately three days.Giralo discussed the changes during an October 29 appearance on WOND. The county clerk's office handles deeds, mortgages, property records, passport applications, notary services and several election-related responsibilities. Giralo said his office has modernized its operations while reducing staffing and handling tens of thousands of documents annually.

A major initiative to provide housing and support services for homeless veterans in South Jersey has reached a significant milestone, with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation breaking ground on a planned 121-unit Veterans Village in Northfield. According to SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com, the development will include 99 single-occupancy housing units and 22 larger homes, known as Comfort Homes, along with on-site services intended to help veterans achieve greater independence and long-term stability.

Two retired Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office detectives have provided statements questioning the handling of the criminal investigation and prosecution of Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, adding new allegations to a $50 million civil lawsuit accusing Prosecutor William Reynolds of pursuing the case for political reasons. According to SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com, the statements, included in court documents filed this week, describe what the former investigators considered extraordinary surveillance operations, unusually heavy security and investigative decisions that differed from their experience handling other criminal cases.The new information comes as Reynolds and other defendants seek dismissal of the lawsuit, arguing that prosecutors are protected by established legal immunity doctrines.

Atlantic County Republican Chairman Don Purdy is calling for a public-private partnership to preserve the Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel, rejecting a proposal to convert a portion of the property into senior apartments as a critical state funding deadline approaches. Speaking with Scott Cronick on Off The Press on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND, Purdy said the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority should be considered as a potential partner in finding a solution to the hotel's financial problems.

Plans to transform the former LaCosta Lounge property into an upscale boutique hotel are taking another turn, as Sea Isle City officials consider a new redevelopment strategy that could help resolve affordable housing issues that have stalled construction at one of the resort's most visible downtown locations. SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com reports City Council voted Tuesday, October 27, to retain the Collingswood law firm Maley Givens to advise the municipality on the possibility of declaring the property an area in need of redevelopment. The site has remained vacant since the demolition of the former LaCosta Lounge and Ludlam buildings in October 2024.

A major beach replenishment project is about to get underway in Stone Harbor, with construction equipment scheduled to begin arriving Monday, November 2, ahead of an approximately $16 million federal effort to restore beaches and strengthen the borough's defenses against coastal storms.The Borough of Stone Harbor announced Wednesday that contractors will begin mobilizing equipment November 2 and continue through Friday, November 6. SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com reports the work is expected to bring increased construction traffic, particularly near the 122nd Street beach parking lot, where portions of the parking area may be temporarily closed to the public.

A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 20 years in New Jersey State Prison after running a multi-state drug operation out of Atlantic City. Forty-two-year-old Joseph Andrews was sentenced Tuesday following a multi-agency investigation that uncovered a narcotics manufacturing facility operating out of a local residence and a Super 8 Motel room. Authorities say Andrews regularly traveled from New York to manufacture and distribute cocaine and methamphetamine in Atlantic City, despite having multiple drug charges already pending against him in Brooklyn. Andrews, who has been held in custody since his January 2025 arrest, previously pleaded guilty to all charges under a negotiated plea agreement.

With Election Day approaching, Congressman Jeff Van Drew is pushing back against accusations from Democratic challenger Zack Mullock involving Medicare, Social Security, campaign financing and the use of artificial intelligence, as questions about the candidates' competing claims take center stage in New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District race, reports SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com.

The owner of an Atlantic City cannabis dispensary is seeking more than $5 million in damages from the city, alleging that misconduct involving municipal officials and the city's cannabis licensing process caused substantial financial losses and contributed to the business's closure. According to SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com, the notice of tort claim, submitted October 1 by Victor Diaz and Sweet Leaf's Dispensary LLC, comes after federal prosecutors charged Kashawn McKinley, Atlantic City's suspended director of constituent services and former chairman of the city's Cannabis Review Board, with honest-services fraud and bribery offenses.

Ocean City is moving forward with construction of a new municipal airport terminal after City Council approved a contract that Mayor Jay Gillian says totals $7.4 million, approximately $1.4 million more than the city's previously stated $6 million construction target. SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com reports the approval came during the council's October 22 meeting and represents a major milestone for a project that has been discussed for years, redesigned several times and supported by a $3 million private donation from longtime Ocean City businessman Leon Grisbaum.

Atlantic County Sheriff Joseph “Tokyo Joe” O'Donoghue and Democratic challenger Sean Riggin clashed over allegations of unfair treatment of sheriff's officers, rising department spending and the future of countywide police services during a contentious radio debate Tuesday, one week before voters decide who will lead the Sheriff's Office. The two candidates faced each other October 27 on Off The Press with Scott Cronick on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND, challenging each other's records and management philosophies in a debate that also covered prisoner transportation, bail reform, law enforcement experience and officer mental health.

The purchase of the former Trump Plaza property by South Jersey political power broker George Norcross presents a major redevelopment opportunity for Atlantic City, but New York City Councilman Frank Morano says the public should demand transparency, a realistic construction timeline and economic benefits for local residents. Speaking Monday on The AC Mike Lopez Show on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND, Morano welcomed the acquisition while questioning whether the project will ultimately deliver jobs, support nearby businesses and help reduce Atlantic City's dependence on casino gambling.

A 36-year-old man accused of driving while intoxicated and seriously injuring a Middle Township police officer will remain in custody after prosecutors challenged a judge's decision to release him while awaiting trial. SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com reports Lucio Lopez-Perez, of Erma, is facing multiple charges stemming from an October 16 crash that left Middle Township Patrolman Austin Kapurelos with severe injuries. On Monday, October 26, Superior Court Judge Jeffrey J. Waldman denied two requests by the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office to keep Lopez-Perez detained pending trial. However, the release order was subsequently stayed following a challenge by prosecutors, according to statements from Middle Township officials and U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew.

Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson is doubling down on his call for more police officers in Atlantic City, but he insists his criticism is not directed at Mayor Marty Small or the city's police department. Instead, Levinson says the responsibility rests with the State of New Jersey, which continues to exercise extensive oversight of Atlantic City's finances and municipal operations.Speaking Monday on WOND, Levinson addressed a recent public disagreement with Small over police staffing and who should pay for additional officers.

A 33-year-old Pleasantville man has pleaded guilty to multiple criminal charges stemming from a series of domestic violence incidents involving his former girlfriend and a high-speed police pursuit that reached more than 100 mph on Atlantic Brigantine Boulevard. Michael Ciarla pleaded guilty Thursday, October 22, before Superior Court Judge Joseph Levin to third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, fourth-degree contempt and second-degree eluding. According to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, the plea agreement calls for a five-year sentence in New Jersey State Prison.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office is highlighting major progress in modernizing local justice through expanded criminal diversion programs. Under Prosecutor William Reynolds, a unified Diversion Unit launched last year has streamlined treatment options for nonviolent offenders while freeing up resources to target violent crime. More than three thousand individuals have avoided criminal convictions since 2022 by enrolling in programs focused on substance abuse, mental health, trauma therapy, and juvenile workforce placement. Prosecutor Reynolds credits grant funding and strong community partnerships for improving lives and reducing court backlogs across Atlantic County.

An Atlantic City man faces five years in state prison after pleading guilty Wednesday to weapons and drug charges. Twenty-seven-year-old Ezekiel Harper admitted to illegal firearm possession and drug distribution charges stemming from a July investigation at a local Howard Johnson hotel. Police located Harper in the hotel lobby and discovered a revolver, along with wax folds containing fentanyl and carfentanil, inside his fanny pack. Under the plea agreement, Harper will serve a mandatory five-year term without parole when he is officially sentenced on December 15th.

Atlantic City has spent millions of dollars on flood protection and drainage improvements, but Sixth Ward Councilman Jesse Kurtz says the recent nor'easter exposed a troubling problem in Chelsea Heights: Floodwaters that remained in some neighborhoods even after the tides receded. During an October 20 appearance on The AC Mike Lopez Show on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND, Kurtz said the city needs to take a closer look at drainage infrastructure, particularly in areas where standing water persisted longer than expected.