Sixth Ward Councilman Jesse Kurtz says Atlantic City's public docks at Gardner's Basin need capital investment and believes improving waterfront access for everyday residents should become a greater priority for the resort. SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com reports Kurtz addressed conditions at the city-owned marina Tuesday during an appearance on The AC Mike Lopez Show on WOND after a caller raised concerns about deteriorating docks and the inability of boaters to access portions of the facility.

A teenage lifeguard's instincts kicked in at exactly the right moment earlier this month, turning what could have been a devastating tragedy into a story of heroism at our Jersey Shore.Ryan Gibson, a 19-year-old member of the Cape May Point Beach Patrol, had just wrapped up his shift on August 12 and was enjoying an evening volleyball game with friends on the beach. At 6:33 p.m., he spotted an 11-year-old girl being swept into the ocean by dangerous currents. SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com reports Gibson managed to pull the child onto a nearby rock jetty, sustaining minor scrapes and scratches in the process.

A Toms River man will spend three years in state prison following a violent road rage confrontation in Atlantic City last fall.Twenty-nine-year-old Frank Marin was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to third-degree terroristic threats in connection with a road rage incident in Atlantic City. Authorities say Marin nearly struck another vehicle that had stopped for an ambulance, sparking a heated argument between the two drivers. Marin then blocked the victim's car, threatened to kill him and his dog, and approached the vehicle with a taser before driving away.

Atlantic County averaged 34 suicide deaths per year from 2019 through 2023, with an age-adjusted suicide death rate of 11.7 per 100,000 people, according to federal mortality data compiled by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. According to SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com, Cape May County averaged 12 suicide deaths annually, with a rate of 12.4 per 100,000.Both were well above New Jersey's statewide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 during the same five-year period. Atlantic County's suicide death rate also showed a statistically significant rising trend during that period, according to the federal data.

A proposal to build 55 new housing units along West Jersey Avenue is scheduled to go before the Egg Harbor Township Planning Board Monday, adding another project to a continuing discussion over residential growth in the township. The application calls for 24 single-family homes and 31 duplexes along West Jersey Avenue. The proposal comes as township officials are already confronting questions about how continued residential development could affect schools, municipal services, traffic and infrastructure. In a previous interview featured by South Jersey NewsBeat, Egg Harbor Township Committeeman Patrick Ireland pointed to development as one of the significant issues facing the community.

Atlantic City will bring back its Black Business Expo next week, offering local entrepreneurs and business owners an opportunity to network, promote their businesses and hear from industry leaders.The free event will be held Tuesday, Aug. 25, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the All Wars Memorial Building, 1510 Adriatic Ave. SouthJerseyNewsbeat.com reports organized by the City of Atlantic City’s Division of Economic Development, the expo is designed to showcase Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurship while connecting business owners with residents, organizations and other members of the local business community.The event will include vendor exhibits, panel discussions and live radio interviews. A pop-up museum exhibit highlighting Black history and culture will also be featured.

Atlantic City is gearing up for the new school year with roughly 60 crossing guards officially sworn in to protect local students. Mayor Marty Small Senior and public safety officials welcomed the mix of new and returning guards during a ceremony on Friday, August 14th. SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com repots stationed at key intersections and school zones throughout the city, the guards will help ensure children travel to and from class safely every day. Public Safety Director Sean Riggin praised the group's commitment, emphasizing that their daily presence offers vital peace of mind to the entire community.

As communities across the region wrestle with the rapid expansion of massive data centers needed to power artificial intelligence and other technology, Hamilton Township is hitting the brakes. SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com reports Hamilton Township Committeewoman Dr. Thelma Witherspoon says the township has imposed a moratorium on data-center development while officials study whether — and under what conditions — the facilities should be permitted. Witherspoon acknowledged the opposition township officials have heard from residents.

Cape May county government is making a fresh push to upgrade four Garden State Parkway exits that currently offer only limited access, arguing the improvements would benefit both residents and the millions of tourists who visit each year.County commissioners passed a resolution on August 11 calling on the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to move forward with converting Exits 6, 13, 17, and 20 into complete four-way interchanges. The measure urges the authority to advance planning, design, funding, and construction for all four locations, reports SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com. Right now, these exits provide only partial access.

Atlantic City's casino industry delivered its strongest July performance since 2012, signaling that our summer gaming season has hit full stride after a sluggish start to the warmer months. SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com reports the city's nine casinos collectively won $304.2 million from slot machines and table games in July, representing a 7.1% increase compared to the same month last year, according to figures released by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. The performance marks the best July since 2012, when the industry was still reeling from years of market contraction.

Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson is giving an enthusiastic endorsement to the planned Amazon development at the former Atlantic City Race Course property, calling the project a major economic opportunity for Hamilton Township and the county. Levinson said Wednesday that the project is expected to create approximately 700 permanent jobs while putting a long-dormant property back into productive use. "The bottom line here is this is in the best interest of everybody," Levinson said during an appearance on Klein Time with Dan Klein on WOND. Levinson praised Hamilton Township Mayor Carl Pitale and Commissioner Art Schenker for their work in bringing the project to the township.

Authorities in Atlantic City have arrested a local man in connection with a cold-case murder from seventeen years ago. Forty-four-year-old Billie Woods was taken into custody Thursday by a joint law enforcement task force for the June 2009 fatal shooting of David Nesbitt. The arrest follows a months-long re-examination of evidence by detectives, which led to an Atlantic County grand jury indicting Woods for first-degree murder last month. Woods was processed by the prosecutor’s office and is currently being held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility.

A 30th birthday celebration for a longtime Sea Isle City visitor has turned into a gift that will help other people with disabilities experience the beach. More than 30 friends and family members of Jack Kropp of West Chester, Pennsylvania, raised $2,840 to help Sea Isle City purchase additional beach wheelchairs. Kropp, who has severe disabilities, visits Sea Isle City with his family each summer and uses one of the city's specially designed wheelchairs to access the beach.

Our community's beaches are getting a significant boost this summer, with new aerial video revealing the scope of the Army Corps of Engineers beach replenishment project currently underway along Ocean City's northern coastline. Footage captured recently, shows the progress of the sand restoration effort spanning from the Music Pier at Moorlyn Terrace to the Fourth Street area. The video provides residents and visitors a bird's-eye view of how the project is reshaping our shoreline.Beach replenishment projects like this one are critical for protecting our coastal community from erosion and storm damage. The Army Corps of Engineers periodically restores sand to Ocean City's beaches, helping to maintain the wide, protective shoreline that draws visitors and safeguards our properties.

An 89-year-old Margate woman is in critical condition after being struck by a car Tuesday evening.Police received multiple calls to the area of Jerome and Winchester avenues at 7:23 p.m., according to the report. BreakingAC.com reports Stephen J. Thack, 84, of Margate, was on Jerome Avenue when he made a left turn onto Winchester and struck the woman who was in the crosswalk heading south, police said. Thack remained on scene and cooperated with the investigation, police said.The woman, whose name was not released, was taken to AtlanticCare Regional Medical Center’s City Campus in Atlantic City to be treated for life-threatening injuries.She remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition.

An Atlantic City woman previously released on pending robbery and drug charges is back behind bars after police caught her carrying an illegal handgun. Thirty-two-year-old Kenya Bailey was arrested last Friday on Pacific Avenue when surveillance officers noticed her acting suspiciously and discovered a loaded 9mm pistol in her waistband. Despite defense arguments highlighting her role as her mother's primary caregiver, Judge William Miller ordered Bailey held in jail, citing a direct violation of her initial release conditions. The new arrest comes just as prosecutors were attempting to divert her pending drug cases into Recovery Court. Judge Miller noted that while Bailey let the court down, her scheduled drug treatment evaluation will still move forward while she remains in custody.

Atlantic City celebrated a major redevelopment milestone on Wednesday as K. Hovnanian Homes officially broke ground on the Terraces at Absecon Inlet. BreakingAC.com reports the new waterfront project will bring 38 upscale, four-story townhomes starting in the high $700,000s to an inlet area that has sat barren for decades. Local officials praised the breakthrough, crediting city leadership and local community groups for overcoming long-standing land assembly and flood-risk barriers. Mayor Marty Small emphasized that this project is just the beginning, signaling a wave of upcoming developments meant to invest in the city's future.

A twenty-year-old Mays Landing man faces eight years in state prison after pleading guilty on Tuesday to a January 2025 carjacking. Rayquan Summers admitted to entering a food delivery driver's vehicle and repeatedly striking the victim in the face when confronted. A neighboring resident witnessed the assault and followed Summers to a nearby apartment complex where police found him hiding in a laundry room. Summers must serve at least eighty-five percent of his recommended term before parole eligibility, with official sentencing set for September 15th.

An Atlantic City building was evacuated Tuesday morning after an excavator ruptured a high-pressure natural gas line near Florida and Atlantic avenues. Firefighters arrived around 6:30 a.m. and deployed a water line to protect residents from a large gas plume before South Jersey Gas crews successfully clamped the leak. BreakingAC.com reports no injuries were reported, and evacuated residents have since been allowed back into their homes. Atlantic Avenue remains closed between Florida and Georgia avenues while crews finish ongoing repair work.

Atlantic City's "Helping Young Men Value Each" mentoring program is expanding its reach by launching a new "Jr. HYVE" group this Wednesday for boys aged 8 to 12. Hosted weekly at the Police Athletic League building from 5 to 7 p.m., the initiative focuses on building confidence, leadership, and accountability in local youth. Interested parents and guardians can sign up or get more information by calling Ruben Stewart at 609-992-0094.